What should have been
by TriggerhappySOB
Summary: Rewritten story-line of DBZ post-Cell. Focused mainly on Gohan, who I felt was not done any justice during the Saiyaman/Buu Saga. Goku is still dead, but not for the lame reason given in the Anime. Gohan is more scarred than he appears in the Anime, both mentally and physically. And Mr. Satan behaves a bit differently as well. Read to find out how!
1. Survivors Guilt

Hey guys. This is my first ever fanfic, and its on something that I have always wanted to do since I first watched this part of the Buu Saga. There were a few things that I despised about it and I feel could have been done better:

1) Goku's reason for staying in the afterlife never made sense to me. I will maintain that he didn't get wished back from Otherworld by the time that Gohan turns 18, however i'm not going to make him stay there purely because he wanted to protect the earth. You'll see what happens.

2) Gohan's character development post-Cell was non-existent, and who would actually believe that the Universes most powerful being would ACTUALLY turn out to be timid little nerdy Gohan? Not saying that he wont maintain the goody-two-shoes mentality, but he would have come out of the Cell games scarred mentally too.

3) The great Sayaman... I don't know why it was decided that Gohan's alter ego should be a dorky superhero wearing a cape and orange helmet (I literally cringed and tried to hide my face from the embarrassment during the episode he saves the airliner and does his little 'rap'... It was like watching Jackie Chun do his thing all over again, but less funny)... There will still be a Sayaman in this fanfic, but like Gohan, he's going to be a bit different. Just how different, you'll just have to wait and see.

**DISCLAIMER: If you've seen this once, you've seen it a million times. As much as I wish I had a part in this fantastic series' creation, I do not. I own nothing except my imagination and my... Scratch that I dont even own my soul either... I own nothing!**

**Chapter 1: Survivor's guilt**

The world shook, and the heavens erupted in a blue light streaking from a tiny little mud ball called earth. Within this light was a creature, much like an overgrown grasshopper in human form. Cell was disintegrating, screaming his dying words at the young boy below him. Gohan was walking forward, a determined look on his face, his left arm hanging in front of him in tatters. His right arm was thrust forward towards the disappearing form of his nemesis. Lightning crackled around him as he made his way slowly to the edge of the crater created by him and cell. With one last "HAAAAA", Cell disappeared from existence, his Ki disappearing with the Kamehameha wave that consumed him.

It was finally over for Gohan. He stood there panting for a moment as the light died out in front of him, leaving a broken landscape before him. His eyes rolled up into his skull and reverted from teal to onyx, and his spiky golden locks seemed to deflate as they reverted back to their natural black. He collapsed onto his back, his destroyed arm lying at an odd angle with the bone poking out of the large hole in his shoulder. His purple Gi was shredded, barely concealing the well-developed form so unnatural for an 11 year old boy.

***ACROSS THE BATTLEFIELD***

"I can't believe what I'm seeing! That scrawny little runt used a trick to destroy Cell! That was MY kill! I could've taken him!"

Mr. Satan hid behind a rock as he observed the battle. The camera crew and his students had been blown away by the sheer force of the battle he had just witnessed. More to himself than anyone else, he was raging. There was no way that this little blonde kid was able to do something he couldn't. It had to be a trick, just like all the other flashy lights and flying that they were doing. Still not convinced that he stood no chance, he decided that he would confront the boy that was now lying on the ground.

Before he even had the chance to move from behind the boulder, the large green man he had witnessed falling before the little blue cells flew to the side of the boy, closely followed by the rest of the group that he had deemed fakes. They surrounded the boy, and they all looked to be in a state of panic. It was obvious there was something wrong with the boy.

_Maybe I can confront him later, but I bet he needs some help! After all, light tricks or not, I saw what that monster did to his arm. He's just a child, no older than my own daughter. I don't know what kind of parents would let him fight like that!_

Whether or not the boy was a fake, Mr. Satan knew he should try to help the child. After all, he is the world champion, and what better way to satisfy the public than to prove that he has a caring heart as well as a warrior's prowess? He emerged from behind his cover and began running towards the group.

He hadn't even made it half way there before the group seemingly disappeared. One by one, they shot into the sky, carrying the boy with them. All except for two: The large green man who stood looking at the short guy wearing the strange blue and white armor. His hair had reverted back to black from the glowing gold that he was wearing minutes before. To Hercule, he looked like a man who had lost the will to live; pure despair flowed freely from his gaze as he spoke to the green man. As Hercule approached the two, the shorter man seemed to lose his self-control and disappeared in a flash. The only thing Hercule noticed was a light white trail that disappeared off over the horizon.

The green man stood watching as the short man disappeared, then stooped to pick up the lavender haired man that Hercule had seen take one of those lights to the chest, hefting him over his shoulder. Hercule stopped behind him and looked around him. The earth was trampled, and there was large pool of dark red sand where the boy had been lying.

"What do you intend to do now Mr. Satan?"

Hercule started at the deep voice that emitted from the man in front of him. It was deep, gravely, and carried a power that sent chills down his spine. He hadn't turned around to look at him yet. Hercule couldn't help himself; he wanted to see the man who was speaking to him. He walked forward and stood next to the man, barely reaching his shoulders. His shock wore off as his anger resurfaced.

"You guys should have let me handle that bug! I could have taken him. Why the hell did you let a little boy fight that monster? What the hell were you thinking?!"

The man finally turned to look at Hercule, making him pale under his glare. He was definitely not human. The green skin was not painted, nor was the pair of antennae that protruded from his forehead fake. His black eyes possessed an empty cold that would surely haunt Hercule 'til the day he died. His feral snarl showed of a set of extremely sharp canine teeth that looked dangerous. In all, the large green -… thing, was a horrifying display of alien strength. But the voice that emitted from his throat would most definitely be the thing that Hercule would remember.

"Hercule, I will only say this once, and you had better never forget it. We do not care what you do after today, take the credit if you will, get your money and fame. We don't want it. But you will not ever forget what my friend did here. But understand, that while you may be a powerful human in your own rights, that boy is the best this world has to offer, same as his father whom you owe your life to. You will never be able to compare to the power that you witnessed today."

Hercule looked at him stunned. The hamster wheel had stopped turning and he was trying desperately to understand what had just happened.

_What the hell am I supposed to do? There's no way that a child can be more powerful than me!_

Before he could even voice his thoughts the green man had disappeared, leaving Hercule at the site where Cell had disappeared. He looked around, only to find himself alone. He furrowed his brow, thinking hard. He knew that he had not killed cell. But he knew that the light tricks and flying that all of those guys were using had to have been fake; mere smoke and mirrors. Or maybe an advanced suit that gave them those super abilities.

His musings were interrupted by a small commotion behind him. He turned to see a small group running from the edge of the battlefield towards him.

_Oh great, the camera crew and that damned reporter. What am I supposed to tell them?_

"Mr. Satan! Mr. Satan! What the hell happened here?! Where is Cell?"

The eyes of his students and his manager looked at him expectantly. They were all worse for wear, between the tattered clothing and the bruises and cuts that covered them, they all looked like they had been through hell.

_Well I suppose when you think about it they have. Bah! Nevermind I have to give them something here!_

"You, cameraman! Did you catch everything that happened out there?"

The teenaged boy look at him with a depressed expression: "Nah man, the camera was destroyed when we all got blown away. I don't even know if the footage that we had on tape survived that!"

_Well… Think fast Hercule, the world expects an answer, and you're the only one besides those fakes that know what happened. Maybe I should just do what that green guy said._

With that thought, Hercule plastered on the best smirk he could muster, and began his story, omitting the crucial detail that it was not him, but the delivery boy who had destroyed cell.

***A FEW MINUTES LATER AT THE LOOKOUT***

"GOHAN!"

Dende rushed to the side of his longtime friend. He collapsed at his side as Yamcha dropped him from his shoulders to the tiles of the lookout.

"Dende please, calm down! He's unconscious but he's alive. Can you help him? He's close to death!"

The scarred face of Yamcha was contorted in fear and what appeared to be nausea as he looked at the son of his one-time enemy. Dende looked back at Gohan and began taking in his friends injuries. He was a mess.

His face had several cuts, one of which looked like was directly over a skull fracture. His legs were severely bruised and Dende could tell that there were several fractures. Several of his ribs were most definitely broken, one of them evidently puncturing a lung causing the blood to flow freely from his mouth with each ragged breath, and there were more bruises and small cuts than could be counted. But worst of all was the horrendous amount of damage done to his left arm. The muscles around the shoulder were shredded, and he could see his shoulder was out of its socket, with the bone sticking out of the open wound as blood oozed out onto the lookout tile. More than that, Dende could tell that the bones of his arm were borderline pulverized, and the ligaments and tendons were all shredded. Needless to say this would be harder than he could ever imagine.

"Yamcha I can heal him, I think. He's going to have permanent damage to his arm, how severe I don't know. I think I can give him full use of it but at the minimum he's going to have a scar there. There's nothing I can do about that. The rest of this I think I can make disappear, but it will take time, and more than one attempt I think. You might want to get his mother up here so that I can explain what's going on."

"No need Dende, Tien is on his way to get Chi-Chi. I don't envy the man, I can only imagine what she is going to do. The others should be here soon. Trunks and Goku didn't make it, and everyone else is in bad shape. But help Gohan first, we need to keep him alive!"

His voice was grave, and his expression was downcast as he watched Dende get to work. The guardian began, pushing his energy out to through his hands, focusing on the giant wound in his shoulder. He could sense the sinew and muscles starting to reattach under his influence, and with a sickening pop, the shoulder popped back into its socket. The skin began to flow together, sealing in the wound and creating a large pearly scar where new skin had to be created. The smaller cuts and bruises began to flow back together and his breathing evened out as his punctured lung healed. Suddenly Dende felt himself slipping into blackness and cut the flow of energy.

"I can't continue right now Yamcha. I'm out of energy, and his injuries are too severe for me to heal in one go."

He looked up with a tired expression to meet the stares of several people. Yamcha was still staring at the tiles between his feet, silently sobbing at the loss of one of his best friends. Krillin was there with an unconscious android 18 cradled in his arms bridal style as he gazed upon the still form of Gohan. Piccolo stood in the back of the group, eyes shut and arms crossed as he stood there sensing for more Ki. Tien had arrived as well, and sat back on his haunches with his face hidden from view. Mirai Trunks was laying on his back next to Gohan, his face still frozen in a shocked expression and the gaping hole in his chest still slightly smoking. But the one person Dende feared most was staring straight at him, with the fiercest glare that she could manage.

"WHAT DO YOU MEAN YOU CANT HEAL HIM?! MY LITTLE BABY GOT HURT AND YOU CANT HEAL HIM?! YOU'RE KAMI FOR… FOR YOUR SAKE! OH WHERE IS THAT MAN?! WHERE IS MY HUSBAND?! I TOLD HIM TO PROMISE ME THAT GOHAN WOULDN'T FIGHT, AND NOW LOOK!"

Everyone present tensed as they heard those words. Chi-Chi looked from Dendes shocked expression to the others, who suddenly noticed some new patterns in the tile between their feet. Picollo stepped in at this point, his face grave and his eyes showing something that few had ever seen before: Pity. Pity for a woman who did not yet know her husband was dead.

"Chi Chi, listen. What I'm about to tell you will not be easy for you to hear."

Chi Chi stopped and looked at Piccolo with a death glare. He swallowed past the lump that suddenly formed in his throat and continued.

"Chi Chi, your husband – Goku … He didn't make it. He sacrificed himself to save us all. Cell killed him after he used instant transmission to take him elsewhere. Cell couldn't beat Gohan so he decided to self-destruct, taking the planet with him. Goku took him elsewhere, but Cell came back. Gohan nearly lost everything when he returned, but in the end, Cell was destroyed for good. But Trunks and Goku are gone, and Gohan is barely hanging with us right now."

Chi Chi's face dropped the glare as soon as Piccolo started his speech. She knew what was coming, but was still caught off guard when she heard the news. She promptly fainted, with Tien barely catching her before she hit the floor. Piccolo looked to Dende, and instantly made up his mind what their course of action should be.

"Dende, get Gohan to one of the rooms up here, we need to get him back up to full health. I don't care how long it takes. The rest of us –", He turned and looked at the group, who picked up their heads to look at the Namekian, "We are going to go collect the dragon balls from Bulma. We have two wishes to make, and I can think of what they should be already. We need to wish everyone back. We're going to have to figure out what to do with Gohan though. Goku can't be wished back by Shenron. But I have an idea and I think that Gohan will realize it when he awakens as well."

The mood seemed to lighten instantly at the mentioning of the Dragon balls. The whole group stood with a new fire in their eyes, and leaving Android 18 and the body of Mirai in the hands of the little guardian and Mr. Popo, took off to West City and Capsule Corp.

***A FEW HOURS LATER***

Mr. Popo and Dende had already moved Chi Chi and Gohan to beds within the lookout. Both were still unconscious when the Z fighters had returned, this time with a very quiet Vegetta and a very frantic Bulma carrying a crying Trunks in her arms. She instantly spotted her deceased teenage son from the future and sprinted over to him. Vegetta just stood in the back, his eyes closed and brow furrowed as he clenched his fists at his sides.

Krillin brought forward a bag and emptied the contents onto the floor of the lookout, revealing the seven Dragon Balls.

"Well guys, what do you say we do this?"

He glanced at the sobbing Bulma and then to Piccolo, who shook his head at the monk.

"Not until Dende gets here. He's working on Gohan right now, and judging by the kids Ki, he's almost conscious now. He needs to be here for this. We owe it to him."

No sooner had the words left his mouth than the entire Z-gang felt the boy's ki spike and then level out. They all turned their heads expectantly towards the building in the center of the lookout, where Gohan emerged next to a very exhausted looking Dende, clutching his side and favoring his right leg. He was wearing his white traditional shirt and black pants he wore prior to the Cell games. His face lit up into a weak smile as he took in the gang and the dragon balls lying before them. The Z fighters let out a collective sigh of relief seeing him alive and moving under his own power.

"Hey guys! Sorry I took so long, that grasshopper bit off a bit more than I expected huh?

The gang all laughed except for Vegetta and Piccolo, who just smirked at the dark humor. Even in the gravest of situations, he still had his father's ability to make the situation seem better. Piccolo was the first to break the following silence.

"You had us all worried there kid. Glad to see you up on your feet. This time, you get to do this. Summon Shenron, you've earned the right."

Gohan nodded and limped over to the group to stand in front of the Dragon balls. He looked expectantly over to Dende, who simply nodded and went over to check on Android 18, who was beginning to stir. Gohan looked down upon the dragon balls, and spoke the words to summon the dragon.

"Eternal dragon! By your name I summon you forth: Shenron!"

The dragon balls glowed golden, and the sky began to darken. Lightning jumped from one ball to the other before shooting up into the sky and taking the form of Shenron. The dragon looked down upon the Z fighters and spoke in a low rumbling voice that vibrated everyone down to their bones.

"I have been summoned! State your two wishes."

Gohan looked back at the Z-fighters and got the silent consent to continue.

"Shenron! Please, revive all of the people that were killed by Cell and the Androids!"

Shenron hesitated a moment, closing his eyes as if in deep thought.

"Do you realize what you are asking of me?", His eyes opened to take in the hopeful looks of all the Z fighters. "Very well, It shall be done."

The dragons eyes glowed a brilliant ruby color, and all of the Z-fighters could feel the life return to the planet, as well as Mirai Trunks. The hole in his chest closed and he began to cough as the life flowed back into him. Bulma squealed in delight and tackled her future son as he tried to sit up. Trunks gasped at the sudden loss of air and looked around in confusion before realization set in, and he returned his mother's hug.

Gohan tore his eyes from the scene to look up at the Z fighters again.

"Well guys, what now? I know dad couldn't be wished back now, but I feel like we need him. Do you think we should wish ourselves to New Namek and ask them to summon Porunga?"

Before anyone could answer his question, a new voice was heard in all of their heads.

**"Wait you guys, don't make that wish! It'll do you no good!"**

Yamcha, Tien, and Piccolo instantly recognized the voice and looked up to the sky. Yamcha was the first to recover from the shock.

"King Kai! Is that you?! What's going on? Why shouldn't we try to wish Goku back?"

**"Because… Well because by order of the Grand Kai, Goku cannot come back! I died as a result of his actions, and the Grand Kai has made the decision that his punishment for my death is to be dead. Permanently."**

The Z fighters faces drained of color, even Piccolo seemed pale. But one of the group took the blow worse than the rest. Gohan stood there, dumbfounded at the revelation. The bubble of hope that had been swelling in his chest had just burst, leaving a void where his father used to be. In that one moment, his entire world seemed to crash down around his head.


	2. Compounding Guilt and Duty

**I know what you're thinking... How in the world did I manage to get a second chapter up within 24 hours of the last one? The answer is: I already had the first couple written out. Sorta... This one is quite long, but it is crucial to the plot of this story. It provides some insight on how Gohan thinks, and revisits some old friends. Thanks to xrail and Dyton for reviewing the first chapter for me! I'm glad you agree with me, and that you approve of my reason for Goku staying dead. There's more to come, keep your eyes peeled! I plan on getting this all on paper relatively quick, with an update every few days. Enjoy!**

**DISCLAIMER: I'm not going to post one on any of the following chapters, so here you go! I don't own anything! Except a rather old and banged up pair of boots under my bed... I do own those, but that's because nobody else wanted them =D**

**On to the story!**

**Chapter 2: Compounding Guilt and Duty**

Gohan woke with a start. He hadn't slept well since the Cell games two weeks ago. The memories from that day, and the searing pain of emptiness haunted his mind. Worse though, was knowing that it was all his fault. Sure Goku had been the one that took Cell to King Kai's planet, but Gohan knew that he wouldn't have needed to if he had just killed Cell when he was told to. His father had warned him. Piccolo had warned him. It was his fault that his father was not able to return. It was his fault that his mother was left without a husband. Ice gripped at his heart, and Gohan stood, unable to return to sleep.

"Ah Gohan, you're up already!"

Gohan turned to face Mr. Popo - the chubby black man who assisted Dende as he entered Gohan's room on the lookout. They had not returned home yet, deciding that it would be wise to wait until Gohan was healed completely and Chi Chi had recovered from the shock. Like always, Mr. Popo had a cheery grin on his face, his black emotionless eyes staring at the young boy as he stretched. Gohan composed his face from its scowl that had hardly left it the last two weeks, to a weak smile that didn't make it all the way to his eyes.

"Hey Popo. Yea, I'll be going out for some meditation and sparring if Piccolo is willing. My arm is feeling much better today, and I think that I should be able to use it normally now."

Gohan demonstrated his full movement by swinging his arm around in a wide circle, hiding his discomfort as the muscles in the shoulder cramped with the movement.

_Stupid. So stupid. There's another thing that wouldn't have happened if you had just killed Cell the first time. You wouldn't have this stupid scar and your shoulder would still be working fine._

Popo, seeming to read his mind cleared his throat, getting the boys attention.

"Gohan listen. I know what you're going through right now. I'm not going to lie to you, this could have been prevented, but it does not fall solely on your shoulders to do so. Had your father destroyed Dr. Gero back when he fought the Red Ribbon Army, none of this would have happened. If Krillin had decided to destroy Android 18 instead of sparing her, Cell might never have gotten to his perfect form."

Gohan looked up from his feet as Popo paused, his smile gone. His eyes were glazed and he was again wearing his scowl. He wasn't mad at Mr. Popo. He knew he was right. But it wasn't what he wanted to hear.

"The fact is Gohan, you cannot beat yourself up for something that might have happened. You've got to accept what has occurred and you need to move on. For your sake, and for your mother's sake."

Gohan held up his hand and motioned for Popo to stop. The tears were beginning to flow from his clenched eyes as he gritted his teeth.

"No Popo. I don't care how many people could have made a difference before me. I had the power to stop it, and I didn't. I messed up. Now please, stand aside so I can leave."

Mr. Popo nodded slightly and stepped away from the doorway, allowing Gohan to brush past him into the hall. He walked through the lookout, passing his mother's room along the way. He could feel her Ki inside, wavering as she slept fitfully. Gohan paused for a moment and put his hand against the door. His vision swam as the tears dropped down his face to the floor. A silent sob racked his body as he felt her ki spike in her sleep.

"I'm so sorry mother. It's my fault. I'm all that is left of Dad, and you have to live with the fact that I'm the reason he's gone. "

He wiped his eyes on the back of his long sleeve shirt and he composed himself, walking towards the front entrance to the lookout. He looked around a moment for Dende before spotting the young guardian in deep conversation with Piccolo. Brushing his eyes one last time, he walked to them, spiking his ki for a moment to alert them to his presence. Piccolo raised his gaze to Gohan as he approached, his normal scowl being replaced by a soft smile. Dende turned to his young friend with a worried look on his face.

"Gohan! Are you feeling alright? It's only been a couple hours since you left to get some sleep and it's still dark out. Is it your arm?"

Gohan shook his head and held up his hands towards Dende. He kept his face as neutral as possible, but he knew that he was failing. His frown betrayed his thoughts to the two Namekians.

"I'm fine Dende. I just need to spar with Piccolo and do some meditation if you don't mind? My shoulder is feeling much better now, and I want to try and get it back in the game."

Dende glanced up at Piccolo nervously. The tall Namekian paused a moment, looking at the ground with a thoughtful expression. Gohan knew that the two were talking about him just now, but decided not to press them with questions about it. He just wanted to spar. He wanted Piccolo to hurt him like he felt he deserved. At the moment, he wouldn't have minded cell returning again to finish what he started with Gohan's arm.

"Fine kid, we'll spar. But don't think that I'm going to take it easy on you."

_Perfect._

*HALF AN HOUR LATER*

Gohan spun away rapidly before regaining control of his Ki and halting himself. He was bruised all over his upper body, his shiny white scar seemed to glow in the night. He was bleeding out the corner of his mouth, and his gi pants were in a ruffled state. His face was contorted into a feral snarl and his eyes were lit with a fire of rage.

"Piccolo I know you can do better than that! HIT ME HARDER"

His mentor was in rough shape as well, having taken quite a beating from the young demi-saiyan only a few minutes before. His turban and cape were long gone, and his gi was shredded. He knew that the boy was in pain after he used the Masenko on him, but to his horror, Gohan seemed to be reveling in it.

_I know what you're after kid. I taught you better than this! You know I won't kill you, so what do you think you're doing? I understand you're mourning your father, but this is getting out of hand. You don't even know that your mother is pregnant yet and you're already trying to remove yourself from her life._

"Gohan, we need to stop this! I know what you're doing and I will not be a part of it!"

Gohan growled at his old mentor. His fists clenched at his sides as rage began to boil in his chest. Piccolo could only watch in horror as his student powered up. Surpassing the first level of super saiyan and falling into the second level with an agonizing scream. Gohan's golden aura exploded around him as power flowed out of the young demi-saiyan, nearly throwing Piccolo off the edge of the lookout and uprooting the trees in the garden. The enraged boy sprinted forward, completely catching Piccolo off guard and burying his fist in his stomach. Piccolo collapsed backwards, winded and Gohan jumped on his chest, pummeling his former mentor repeatedly across the face.

"DON'T YOU UNDERSTAND PICCOLO?! IT'S MY FAULT HE'S GONE! I KILLED HIM! IT. SHOULD. HAVE. BEEN. ME! NOW GET UP AND HIT ME!"

Gohan had paused in his beating of Piccolo, and sat there panting and clutching the older man's gi front. Piccolo winced as his head seemed to spin from the beating he had just taken. Blood was now flowing freely from his nose and the corners of his mouth. He was barely able to focus on the three Gohans he saw before him.

_I knew he would be taking this hard, but this is too much. I have to tell him, or else he is going to keep demanding that I kill him. Or worse he may kill me. I dread to imagine what he would be like if he lost it like that._

Dende came running out the front of the front of the lookout, panic written all over his face. He was closely followed by a scared looking Chi Chi. She gasped and held her hand to her chest as she watched her son crouching over his former mentor. She was barely able to make a sound as he looked up at her, pain and rage clearly written all over his face.

"G-… Gohan? Sweety, please calm down?"

Gohan looked down at his mentor staring back up at him in fear. He felt a pang of guilt and closed his eyes, averting his face from his mother and friends so that they wouldn't see the tears beginning to flow. Still clenching the front of Piccolo's gi, he snapped his head towards his mother, causing her to flinch.

"How can you possibly expect me to be calm?! How can you speak to me like you don't think it's my fault? You know what I've done but you talk to me like I didn't do anything wrong? How can you even bear to look at me knowing what I am?"

He got quieter and quieter as he spoke until he was barely whispering the last sentence. Chi Chi stared at her son with disbelief. To hear her own child in so much pain was torture for her, and she collapsed to her knees. She sat there, one hand covering her mouth as she stared at her son.

"Mom, I wasn't strong enough. I had the power to defeat him, and to save dad. I didn't. I killed dad and now all that is left is me."

Chichi watched her son as he tightened his hold on Piccolo's gi and hunched over as if he were in pain. His eyes shut tight and teeth clamped down. She hated seeing him like this. This was not the sweet, innocent Gohan who had left with her husband a mere two weeks ago. She wanted her son back. She needed him to be there for her.

"Gohan, sweety, please listen to me." Gohan looked at her, his eyes filled with despair. He didn't want to hurt her any more than he had already, but he knew that he would always be a source of pain to her.

"Gohan, you're not alone, and you never will be. Sweety, Dende just told me. I'm pregnant. You're going to have a little sibling soon."

Gohan's mind went numb. He unconsciously dropped Piccolo and stood, his face showing the shock. He had noticed that his mother's ki felt different the last few days, but he hadn't really given it much thought. He figured that she was just grieving the loss of her husband. Suddenly his eyes hardened, he snapped his mouth shut in a scowl and he took a few steps back from his sobbing mother and his former master, who was trying to recover enough to stand. He looked down at his hands. His calloused and rough hands.

_These are the hands of a killer, the hands that murdered my father. Now my little brother or sister… Kami how can I live with this. My sibling will grow up without a father! What have I done? NO!_

"Gohan, please listen to me! I need you to be here with me. I can't lose you too!"

Chi Chi's words fell on deaf ears. Gohan staggered away from his mother, self-loathing and fear etched across his young face. Without another word he turned on his heel and sprinted to the edge of the lookout, diving off before flying away trailing a streak of golden ki.

"GOHAN NO! Oh my – Dende where is he going?! Bring him back! Please?!"

Panic gripped Chi Chi as she watched her son disappear beyond the horizon. She grabbed onto the front of Dendes robe and looked at him with the most hopeless expression she could muster. Dende just sighed and dropped his gaze.

"I can't Chi Chi, I'm sorry. There is nothing I can do to bring him back here, as much as I want to."

Piccolo was finally standing on his own, nursing a severely bruised stomach. He put a hand on Chi Chi's shoulder, startling her. She jumped and looked up scared at Piccolo, who was frowning slightly, deep in thought.

"Chi Chi, he's got a lot going on in his head. If I know Gohan, he's struggling with the fact that his sibling will grow up without a father. He needs to be on his own for now. Soon enough he will return, and just you watch, he will realize that he must be there for you. He knows that he is now the man of the house, he just needs to accept that fact."

Chi Chi sniffled a bit and rubbed her eyes with the back of her hand. She looked down at the ground below her feet, still shocked at her sons reaction.

"I hope you're right Piccolo. I just don't know what to do. Goku would know."

*BACK WITH GOHAN*

Gohan flew. He didn't care where to, he just had to get away. He was completely lost in his own thoughts.

_My mother is pregnant, and my sibling will grow up without a father. It's my fault! I can't replace dad, how could I? I'm nothing like him! He would never let his ego get to him when it mattered!_ _He should be the one here, not me! Why did he have to pay for my mistake?!_

"DAMN YOU CELL!"

Gohan roared to the sky as loud as he could, his aura erupting around him in a giant swirling vortex as he floated above a heavily wooded area. He let out all of his anger and anguish, tears streaming down his face. His scream shook the planet. From the ground below, a young girl with auburn hair and green eyes clutched onto her mother's leg as tight as she could while watching the boy who had saved her.

"Mommy! That's him! That's Gohan!"

Lime's mother looked on in fear at the sight she was witnessing. The rest of the village was now outside their homes, watching the sky in amazement at the golden boy floating in the sky.

Gohans scream continued for a few more seconds before his aura began to die away. He felt drained. He started seeing tunnel vision and his muscles relaxed as exhaustion took over. He looked down at the forest below him, barely noticing that he had wandered his way back towards the 439 mountain area. The last thing he noticed before blackness took him was the small villiage at the edge of his senses, and the shocked faces of those who had just witnessed him lose control.

Lime watched as Gohan suddenly stopped screaming. His golden glow disappeared, and he began to fall. Lime watched him fall, and every second he got closer to the ground, she began to panic more and more.

_What's wrong with him? He... Oh no..._

_"_Gohan no! Snap out of it!"

But her screams were for naught. She flinched and hid hid her face in her mothers skirt when she heard him hit the trees in the distance. She could hear the groaning of wood straining and the snapping of branches as her hero fell through them. As quickly as she could, she sprinted to the forest, ignoring her mother's calls and the screams of the villagers.

_Oh please let him be okay!_

She kept running until the signs of wildlife seemed to be non-existent. The birds and small animals had scattered at the intrusion upon their homes. She began searching for signs of the boy, looking for broken branches or a body, and dreading the worst. It didn't take long before she found him buried in a pile of branches that had snapped off one of the tall pines. She began to panic when she noticed that his arm was hanging limply out of the side of the pile with blood dripping from the tips of his fingers.

"Gohan!"

She ran forward and began pulling branches off of him until finally, she could see his face. She gasped, and her face paled. There was a large cut running across his face starting at the left side of his brow and ending on his left cheek. Blood was running freely from the wound and pooling in the pit of his eye. He wasn't wearing his gi top, and she noticed that his entire body was covered in scrapes and small cuts, as well as a large pearly white scar that stretched across his well muscled shoulder. Quickly she moved the remaining branches from him and dragged him out into a clearing as best as she could.

_He weighs a ton! Oh Kami I cant carry him back to the village! What am I going to do? He needs help!_

_"_Lime! Oh Kami, Gohan!"

Lime's grandfather, Mr. Lao, came rushing into the clearing in search of his grand-daughter. Upon seeing the young boy laid out before her, he rushed to her side. He did a quick one-over of him and looked at lime, a serious expression on his face.

"Lime, run back to the village! Tell your mother to gather her medical supplies and the herbs from my cabinet. Go! Quickly!"

Lime, eager to see her friend better again, nodded and ran off in the direction of the village, leaving Mr. Lao with the boy. He reached down and picked Gohan up, albeit with some difficulty. He hefted the boy higher up in his arms to steady him, and then took off after his grand-daughter. Within minutes he arrived at the edge of the village, where a small crowd had gathered to see the strange flying child. Many of them gasped in surprise when they saw that Mr. Lao was covered in blood, and more than a couple women fainted upon seeing Gohan well for the first time. Lao sprinted past the onlookers, and jumped up the steps to his daughters home. Entering the main room, he saw that she had already cleared the dining room table, and draped a tarp over it. Medical supplies were scattered accross the counter of the kitchen behind the table, and a very determined looking Mrs. Lemon was filling a pot with water to boil. Upon seeing her father carrying Gohan, she put the bowl on the stove and gathered all the medical supplies she could in her arms before rushing over to the table.

"Put him down here dad, I'll get him cleaned up. Lime! Do you have the medicine yet?"

Lime sprinted in the front door clutching a bag of brown dried up leaves.

"Right here mama! How bad is it? Will he be alright?"

Mrs. Lemon looked at her father, giving him a silent 'get her out of here please?' look before returning to the kitchen to grab the pot of now boiling water. Mr Lao looked down at the girl before realizing that they were both covered in Gohan's blood.

"Lime, we need to go get cleaned up. Your mother will take care of young Gohan. He'll be alright."

Lime looked up at her grandfather from her spot next to the dinner table, tears already forming in her eyes. But she nodded and ran up the stairs to her bathroom, her grandfather in tow. With them both gone, Mrs. Lemon began working, removing the tattered gi pants and shoes from Gohan. She began cleaning the wounds with a cloth she dipped in the boiling water.

"I don't know what you're made of kid. You're tougher than anyone I've ever met, but I don't think that even you will be able to come out of this one without a scar or two."

She winced as she looked at the cut across his face, seeing that whatever he had hit had gone all the way to the bone on his brow. She opened his eye hesitantly, worried that there would be damage there, and was relieved to see that it was still whole. Quietly thanking Kami for little miracles, she continued her work.

*TWO DAYS LATER*

The first sense that Gohan noticed was his hearing. It wasn't clear, but he was certain that he heard voices. It sounded like a family chatting over dinner.

_I wonder if it was all a dream? Could that be my parents? Dende please let it be real._

His thoughts were interrupted by the pain. It started in the back of his skull, then spread all through his body. The left side of his face felt like it was on fire, and it didn't respond immediately to his commands. Slowly he managed to open his eyes, and almost immediately went into a state of panic. He could see out of his right eye fine, but his left was unresponsive. He tried to bring his left arm up to touch his face and cried out when the pain in his shoulder burst through his groggy state of mind. He sat up as quickly as his body would allow, and was startled to realize that he wasn't in his room. Suddenly the door across from him burst open, and someone familiar to him sprinted across the room and tackled him in a fierce hug, causing him to fall back and grunt in pain.

"Gohan! I-never-thought-you-would-wake-up-after-I-saw-you-fall-I-was-so-scared-and-you-were-bleeding-and-mom-fixed-you-up-and-i'm-just-glad-you're-finally-awake!"

Gohan struggled with himself for a moment, trying to push aside the pain that the young girl had just inflicted upon his battered body. Eventually it subsided and he gently patted her shoulder as she sobbed into his chest. He looked up to see a relieved looking woman with Dark brown hair and Emerald colored eyes bearing a small smile, and a very disgruntled looking Mr. Lao.

"It's alright Lime, I'm fine." He paused a moment, concentrating on not loosing his cool. "What happened to my eye? Why can't I see out of my left eye?"

Lime looked up at him and giggled nervously. She reached up and pulled on something that was tied to his face letting cool air flow to the previously covered skin. The bandage and large cotton pad fell off of his face and Gohan saw that it was dark with dried blood. Gohan felt his eye flutter for a moment before it slowly responded to his command, and he could feel the light pouring in, making him squint. Instantly, relief flowed through him.

_Good, i'm not blind. I must have gotten a cut across my face when I fell... Kami how long have I been out?_

Seemingly on cue, the woman he assumed to be Lime's mother walked to him and gently inspected him. She first looked at his eye, seemingly surprised for a moment before moving on to the rest of his injuries.

"Gohan is it? I don't know how this is possible, but the cut over your eye has already healed a considerable amount. You've been unconscious for two days. I'm afraid that there isn't much I can do about your shoulder, it seems as if you have an old injury that wont heal there. As large as that scar is, i'm surprised that you didn't have to have it amputated."

Gohan nodded slightly. He battled with himself for a moment before deciding that the woman was not a threat, and that Lime and her grandfather already knew enough for him to not be scared of them.

"Yes my name is Gohan Son. I'm guessing you're Lime's mother?"

"Yes I am, but you can call me Peach. I don't know when my husband will be back, but his name is Tang. He's been out and about looking for your parents. Lime said that you lived near here, but now that you're awake, we can get you home."

Gohan felt like a lead weight had just been dropped into his stomach. He knew that he would have to face the music eventually, but he wasn't sure if he could handle seeing his mother again. Not after what he had done.

"Gohan? What's wrong?

Gohan looked at Lime, who was giving him a concerned look.

"I can't go home Lime... I just can't."

He felt the burn in his eyes as he struggled to maintain his composure. He could feel the eyes of Mr. Lao and Peach on him, and Limes expression changed to a confused and worried look.

"Lime... Dad's gone. He's dead."

Gohan could barely hold back his tears now as he heard Lime and her mother gasp in shock. Mr. Lao mumbled something that Gohan didn't manage to catch, and Lime locked eyes with Gohan.

"It was Cell wasn't it? Your dad is so nice, why did it have to be him?"

Gohan crumbled at those words. Those same words that he had been asking himself these last two weeks. The tears began to flow freely from his eyes, and the lump in his throat seemed to swell until he couldnt breathe anymore. He had to get it out, he had to tell someone. He needed to come clean, and before he realized why he was trusting these people, he was spilling his guts to them.

"No it wasn't Cell. It was me."

Lime recoiled at his words and stared at him hard. Peach's breath caught in her throat as she looked at this boy. The boy who had saved her daughter. Before they could say anything, Gohan continued.

"I had Cell. I was winning, and he knew it. I let my pride get the better of me, and I wanted him to hurt. I wanted him to feel a hundred times over the pain that he had caused everyone. Before I could realize the error of my ways, cell decided to destroy himself, and the planet along with him. My father... He stepped in. He smiled at me, and said he was proud of me... Then he was gone. He teleported Cell away from the earth, and died in the explosion. I killed him by being arrogant when I had the chance to finish it."

His eyes were downcast, and he was fiddling with the blanket across his lap. He didn't seem to notice that the tears had stopped flowing from his eyes. In a way, he felt better. Thinking of the last words that his father had spoken to him. He still didn't want to believe that his father was proud of him. How could he? It was just comforting knowing that Goku had tried to ease his son's pain.

"Gohan... What did you do? What happened after that?"

Gohan considered for a moment. He still didn't look up from the sheets on his bed.

"Cell regenerated. He came back and he killed someone else. My friend Trunks. He tried to kill Vegetta too, but I blocked it. That's how I got the scar on my shoulder."

Peach looked at him skeptically for a moment, but didn't interrupt.

"In the end... I killed him. I killed Cell, and may that bastard rot in hell."

The silence in the room was thick enough to be sliced with a knife. It was broken by Mr. Lao, who spoke for the first time during this encounter.

"My boy, you saved us all. Understand one thing, you cannot control who falls in battle, in the end, you were the one who emerged victorious."

Gohan looked up at him to see he was wearing a small smile. Like a father proud of his own son. He continued before Gohan could say what was eating away at his mind.

"And if I were a Goku Son, I would be incredibly proud to call you my son. Do not blame yourself for your fathers death Gohan."

Gohan frowned and looked back at his hands. He knew he had caused his fathers death. There was no way around it. But he knew that he had to go on. He began to hope that one day he would be able to see his father. He wanted nothing more than his forgiveness. Gohan would never really be able to forgive himself, but his mother needed him, and he felt he needed to step into his fathers position now that he was gone. The thought didn't remove his guilt or his pain, but it gave him purpose. He was startled out of his thoughts as Lime lunged forward and wrapped him in a tight embrace.

"Gohan, I owe you everything. My parents are back and Cell is gone for good. You're the one responsible, and whatever you need, I will try to make it up to you. Right mama?"

She nodded to Gohan, still lost in thought about something. Gohan seperated himself from Lime and smiled nervously.

"Could you umm... Could you guys not mention any of this to the outside please? Me and my friends don't want the attention it would bring."

The three others responded with a unanimous "Of course we wont!". Gohan sighed and moved in the bed to stand, checking to see if he had any clothes on. He was wearing a pair of boxers that didn't belong to him.

"Gohan where are you going? You shouldn't be moving!"

Lime grabbed his good arm, looking at him worried. He smiled at her weakly before standing, much to Limes and Peach's surprise.

"I need to get back to my mom and apologize for running from her... I just found out a couple days ago, I'm going to be a big brother."

Lime and her family proceeded to congratulate him, and hurried to find him some clothes to wear.

_I may not be Goku. I could never live up to that name. I'm still responsible for this, and I need to atone for my mistake. I have to be there for mom, and my sibling. I have to be here for the people of this planet. I have purpose now._

**(A/N: Hah! Anyone notice how he conveniently forgot about how Goku let Freeza power up all the way to "test himself" on Namek?... For being such a smart guy, sometimes he overlooks some important things. I know it's long, but hey, once I start writing the words just flow!)**


	3. Recovery

**Alrighty guys this one is more of a filler chapter than anything, but it does have some things in it that give hints towards the future. See if you can spot them all! Thanks to everyone who reviewed. To be honest i'm surprised this has gotten this much attention already! Thanks all for reading, now on to the story!**

**Chapter 3: Recovery**

Gohan dressed quickly. Mr Lao had brought him a navy blue gi from his shop, which fit his muscular frame perfectly. He pulled the top on and tied the red sash around his waist. He considered for a moment that he would have to return to Mr. Lao for his Gi's more often. He started pulling his old shoes back on and looked up to see Lime looking at him curiously.

"Hey Gohan… Why is your hair black? Your eyes too, they were green before weren't they?"

Gohan paused for a moment, considering how best to answer Lime. He wasn't sure he should tell her everything about himself yet, but she had learned a lot already. Silently making up his mind, he nodded at her.

"Yea Lime they were, but this is my normal look. I was born with black hair and eyes. Can you keep a secret? Even from your parents?"

Lime cocked an eyebrow at him, but nodded.

"Well, my dad wasn't human Lime. He was born on a planet called Vegetta, and got sent here when he was a baby. He's from a race called the Saiyans, which makes me a half, or demi-Saiyan. The form you met me in; with the blonde hair and teal eyes, is called super Saiyan. We get stronger and faster when we are in that form."

Lime's eyes shot open as far as they could, and her mouth moved to say something, but nothing came out. She stumbled a second before collapsing in a chair by the door. She furrowed her brow, considering what he had said. Gohan waited with his breath held, wondering how she would take this information.

"Well… I guess that explains the weird powers and why you've healed so quickly then huh? You're really an alien?"

Gohan sighed and nodded, relieved that Lime hadn't freaked out. He pulled his other shoe on and stood when something occurred to him.

"Hey Lime, how bad is my face? I know it got cut, I just don't want my mother freaking out. Well, freaking out more than she is already going to."

Lime looked at him worried a bit before walking past him to a dresser and pulling a mirror out of the top drawer. She held it to her chest, out of his sight, looking at him with a nervous smile.

"Mom tried to do everything she could, but the cut on your face is going to scar. It's not too big of a scar, but I don't think it'll ever go away completely."

She held out the mirror for him, and he took it hesitantly. He raised it to his face, inspecting himself in the mirror. His hair was still short, just like the day he had fought Cell. He was surprised to see his own expression, a slight frown and his brow furrowed. He wasn't consciously making the decision to frown.

_Is this how people are going to see me? No wonder everyone has been talking to me carefully, I look like Vegetta…  
_

He shook his head to rid himself of the thought, and went back to inspecting his face. The scar he was looking for was still fresh, with the skin pulled tight by multiple stitches. He poked it gingerly, watching the skin pull apart slightly to reveal that the cut itself had almost healed.

_This isn't that bad, in fact I think that Dende could remove it for me… No this one stays, I earned it. Just like my shoulder, this scar was caused by my stupidity. This one stays to remind me._

Lime stood next to him observing his expression as he looked into the mirror. She sent him a hopeful smile and placed a hand on his shoulder.

"You know, on the bright side, that scar makes you look pretty awesome!"

Gohan felt the corners of his mouth twitch slightly and looked at the girl next to him. He gave in and smiled at her, the first genuine smile that he'd given in two weeks. It felt strange to him, like it didn't belong.

"Thank's Lime. Listen, I have to go, thank your family for watching me alright? I promise I'll be back around sometime. There's more I want to tell you, but it's a long story."

Lime nodded and pulled him into a hug. He paused a second before returning the hug gently. He stepped back and held her out at arm's length.

"Bye Lime, I'll see you around alright?"

He walked past her and out into the hallway, he turned and walked out the back door of the house before jumping into the sky, a white aura exploding around him. He could hear Lime yelling good-byes to him in the distance. Locking onto his mother's Ki, he sped off towards the Lookout.

***ON THE LOOKOUT***

Piccolo's eyes snapped open as he felt Gohan's weakened ki. He looked off in the direction his student was coming from before dropping from his meditative stance to the lookout. He looked over his shoulder to find Mr. Popo watering the plants with Dende.

"Guys, Gohan is coming back. I finally found his ki, and he's on his way here now. You might want to get Chi Chi."

Dende's eyes widened and he dropped the water bucket that he was holding and sprinted for the lookout building. Mr. Popo walked over to stand next to Piccolo and looked in the direction of Gohan's Ki.

"Something feels wrong Piccolo, he's weak. What happened to him? Why did he disappear like that?"

Piccolo furrowed his brow and stared at the faint light he could now see on the horizon.

"We should ask him when he gets here Popo. I'm sure that Chi Chi is going to want to know as well."

"Gohan! Where is my baby?!"

Piccolo and Popo turned to see Chi Chi sprinting out onto the lookout, frantically looking around to spot her son. Dende walked out looking a bit flustered, rubbing the back of his head tenderly.

"He's not here yet Chi Chi, just wait a moment."

She glared at Piccolo a moment before walking over to join him and Popo. Dende joined the group, standing on the opposite end from Chi Chi, sending nervous glances her direction. Piccolo noticed a slight bump on the back of his head, and guessed that the young guardian had been knocked over by Chi Chi as she tried to get past him in her search for Gohan. He smirked at the thought before turning his attention back to the now visible Gohan.

Gohan saw the group gathered on the lookout, and gulped.

_Well… Time to get this over with… Kami, I hope that they aren't too upset._

He landed and was barely able to stand fully before he was picked up and hugged tightly by his mother.

"Gohan! Sweety I was so worried about you when you didn't come back, and Piccolo said that your ki had disappeared! Don't ever leave me like that again alright?! And… Oh my Kami Gohan what happened to your face?!"

She held him out at arm's length and fussed over the new scar. He winced as she poked it and grabbed her wrist gently. He took a deep breath, trying to control the emotions that were raging within him. He looked at his mother's worried face and then to Piccolo, who was wearing his trademark scowl.

"You guy's, I'm sorry. I panicked when you told me that you were pregnant."

He looked back at his mother, whose lips were quivering as she struggled not to break out in tears.

"I just had to get away and think, and I realized that… I realized that I can't abandon you all… Especially you mother. I know I will never be able to make up for my mistake, but-"

His mother cut him off by pulling him into a bone-crushing hug.

"You listen to me now Gohan, you have nothing to be ashamed of here. Your father is gone, but it's not your fault! I don't blame you, and you shouldn't blame yourself! I don't ever hear you say that it was your fault, do you understand?"

Gohan hesitated. _But it is my fault… Fine, for your sake mother, you won't ever hear it from me._

"I understand mom."

It was silent on the lookout for a moment before a horrendously loud growl echoed across the lookout. Chi Chi started, and looked around for the source before looking at her son in surprise.

"Gohan... When was the last time you ate?!"

Gohan laughed nervously, scratching the back of his head and the tension broke. Dende and Popo laughed at the young Saiyan, and Piccolo smirked and shook his head.

***ORANGE STAR CITY HALL***

The crowd was going wild as their "Savior" strode across the stage to shake hands with the mayor. Hercule Satan smiled his toothy grin at the crowd, raising his hand to the sky in his signature victory sign. At the edge of the stage, a young girl with long raven hair and brilliant blue eyes was bouncing in her seat and clapping, cheering for her hero.

Hercule stood with his arms crossed in front of his chest, and waited with his eyes closed as the mayor took the stand in front of the podium.

"People of Orange star city! Welcome to the ceremony celebrating Mr. Satan's victory over the monster Cell! I would like to announce that in honor of our savior, and by unanimous vote, that our city shall be renamed: Satan City! Additionally the Satan Dojo will be paid for by the city from this day forward, and the Satan family shall be given a home in the heart of the city! Please, Mr. Satan, would you like to say a word to your people before we make it official?"

He turned to look at Mr. Satan, who appeared to be nervous. He glanced around at all of the cheering faces looking up at him expectantly.

_Oh, how am I going to do this? What if they're out there watching? It's not like I couldn't beat them all, but what if they reveal that I lied? _

"Go on daddy! You can do it!"

Hercule looked to the young raven haired girl and smiled at her. She was his reason for doing this. He nodded and stepped up to the podium next to the Mayor.

"People of Orange Star City! Thank you for your support, I just have a few words to give. First, I need to thank the one person who makes everything I do worth it, and is the reason that I get up every morning. My daughter Videl!"

He turned and smiled at his daughter, who was blushing furiously and trying to hide her face from the cheering crowd.

"Second, I would like to thank all of you for your faith in me. Know that your faith is not misplaced!"

The crowd cheered at his comment. Mr. Satan silently cursed, hoping that nobody in the crowd was one of the guys from the Cell games. He contemplated for a second how he should word his next comment and waited for the roar of the crowd to die down.

"And last, I would like to extend my condolences to the families of the men who were at the Cell games! They fought hard against Cell, but in the end only one could be victorious. With the mayor's permission, I would like to make this day the first Cell games memorial day!"

The crowd erupted in cheers of approval. The mayor turned to his assistant, speaking quickly and nodding his head before joining the crowd in clapping for Mr. Satan.

_There, hopefully that will keep them away from me. I just hope that this doesn't come back to haunt me in the future._

His thoughts were interrupted by Videl running over and hugging her father around the middle. He smiled and picked up his daughter, seating her on his broad shoulders before flashing the crowd his peace sign and booming laugh. The mayor took the stand again, and waved his hands to quiet the crowd.

"Now! I would like to be the first to officially announce: Welcome one and all, to Satan City!"

Everything else was drowned out by the deafening roar of the crowd as they cheered for the world savior.

***WEST CITY – CAPSULE CORPERATION***

"Remind me why we let that oaf take the credit for killing Cell?"

Bulma frowned at the television before switching it off and turning to the Z-fighters that were gathered in the room. Tien, Chiaotzu, and Yamcha were all seated on a couch across from her, Roshi was seated on the floor and Vegetta was leaning against the wall in the background with his arms crossed and a scowl on his face. Oolong and Puar were seated next to Bulma on the other couch in the room and Bulma was cradling her infant son in her arms. They sat in silence for a moment before surprisingly, Vegetta broke the silence.

"The brat is having enough trouble as it is with the loss of his father. We all agreed that it would be best if his identity remained hidden. That oaf is doing us a favor by stealing the spotlight."

Without a backwards glance, he turned and walked out of the room, leaving the other occupants in a stunned state. Bulma was the first to recover.

_Wow he must really be effected by Goku's death. I expected him to be furious that someone was stealing Gohan's credit. His pride normally wouldn't have allowed for even a half-saiyan's accomplishments to be swept under the rug._

Yamcha broke through her thoughts as he addressed the rest of the gang.

"Speaking of Gohan, has anyone heard from Chi Chi recently? Or from Dende? I mean, Gohan disappeared a couple days ago, and I'm sure that Chi Chi is frantic. Maybe we should head up there to check on them?"

He looked around eagerly at their faces. Roshi nodded and made to stand up.

"Bulma, I think that we should. Do you have a jet that can get us there?"

***SOMEWHERE OVER THE OCEAN BY ROSHI'S ISLAND***

Krillin hovered for a moment, his hands cupped by his side and his stance low in a deep crouch. A light blue ball hovered in his hand and his white aura was flaring around him.

"Kameeeeee… Hameeeee… HAAAAAAAA!"

The blue ball of ki expanded in his hands as he thrust it forward, palm to palm towards the ocean below. The ball shot forward and clashed with the water, causing it to part from the sheer force emitted by the energy wave. It wasn't anywhere near as powerful as what Gohan or Goku was capable of, but Krillin was proud of his abilities regardless. Now that his best friend was gone, he had to step up his game if he hoped to defend his planet.

"You know, for a human you are rather remarkable."

Krillin started and cut the flow of energy to his Kamehameha wave and looked around for the feminine voice that had spoken. Whoever it was had snuck up on him without him sensing them! He spun around and came face to face with Android 18. She had her arms crossed as she observed Krillin with a slight frown on her face.

Krillin dropped his guard and looked nervously at the young woman. Just like before, he was completely disarmed by her. He couldn't help his feelings towards her, even if she had been a terror to the planet only a short while ago.

"18, what are you doing here? I thought you were going to go into hiding with your brother?"

"Why did you do it?"

He cocked his head to the side, puzzled. What was she talking about?

"The wish you made? Of everything you could have wished for, you asked the dragon to remove the bomb that was embedded in mine and my brother's chest. Why?"

Krillin paused for a moment, wondering how he should explain what had led him to that decision. 18 waited patiently for his answer.

"Well, I figured that if you had freed yourself from your ties to Dr. Gero, that you and your brother would try to live here on this planet, and I thought you deserved a second chance to live a normal life. The dragon already said that you were human and he couldn't make you something that you already were, so I thought that it would be easier for you without that being there. I don't think it would be good if someone accidentally set it off and destroyed the planet."

_And I would feel horrible if something happened to you._

Krillin blushed at that thought and looked up hopefully at 18. She was still frowning slightly, and looking down towards the water. She seemed to be struggling with something before she looked back up at Krillin, her frown unwavering.

"To answer your question, yes I went and found 17. He is still seething that he was so outclassed by both Cell and the Piccolo. And you are right, we are still mostly human, and I do want to live a normal life. Well… As normal as mine can get."

Her expression softened and she floated closer to Krillin, who was frozen in place by her icy gaze.

"And I want to thank you, even after everything that me and 17 did, you still took pity on us. You defended me when you knew that you were outmatched, and again when your friends wanted to have me destroyed. You're remarkable to me Krillin, and I thank you."

She floated closer to him, and cupped his cheeks in her hands before pulling him closer and firmly locking her lips with his. Krillin was stunned, his eyes as wide as saucers. He panicked for a second before his expression relaxed and he returned her kiss. They held it for a moment before 18 broke the kiss and held Krillin out and away from her and looked at his content expression. She blushed lightly and a small smile cracked on her face.

_So that's what that feels like. _

Krillin cleared his throat nervously and fanned himself with his gi while trying to fight the heat in his face.

"It's was nothing 18, I only did what I felt was right."

18 crossed her arms and cocked an eyebrow at him. She put on her best glare and stared him down. She knew there was more to it than that, but she wanted to hear it from him herself.

"Is that so? Just hoping that a girl would track you down and give you a kiss then huh?"

Krillin gulped and looked at her wide-eyed for a second before shrugging and giving her a nervous smile.

"Okay, It wasn't nothing then… I was afraid of what would happen if you were taken away and I didn't tell you. I can't explain it, you just have this effect on me, and I can't help but want to be with you."

18's expression softened a bit and her smile returned with her blush. She didn't understand what she was feeling towards the bald monk. She had an attachment to her brother, but that was something that she had had even when she was still a normal human. Krillin was different, he confused her, and yet she found herself reciprocating his feelings. It scared her.

"I need to go for a while Krillin. I'll be back at some point I think but I need to keep 17 out of trouble and I need to think."

Krillin couldn't help but feel a bit upset at her words. He was elated that they had talked finally since she disappeared from the lookout two weeks ago, and ecstatic that she had kissed him. But he was disappointed she had to go so soon. Nevertheless he nodded his understanding and mumbled out an "Okay". 18 smirked at him and leaned forward to give him a peck on the cheek before turning and flying off into the distance.

Krillin stared after her, rubbing his cheek, lost in thought. His musings were interrupted as he felt a familiar Ki flare up in the direction of the lookout.

"Gohan! He's back!"

Krillin smiled and took off towards his friend as quickly as he could manage. He could feel the others making their way to the lookout as well.

_I hope the kid is alright now. He gave us all a scare when he disappeared like that._

***AT THE LOOKOUT***

"Hold still Gohan! Kami, you'd think that after everything you'd been through, pulling stitches would be nothing to you!"

Gohan flinched as his mother pulled another stitch out of his cheek. He had been fed and now his mother was fussing over him. Dende was keeping his distance, not wanting to come between the crazy woman and her son. He cleared his throat to get their attention.

"Excuse me Chi Chi, I can fix him up now if you want? I can have that scar healed before you know it! Besides that, I need to take a look at his shoulder."

Before Chi Chi could say anything, Gohan held his hand up towards Dende, motioning for him to stop. His eyes hardened and he frowned slightly.

"No Dende, don't heal the scar. You can work on my shoulder, but I want the one on my face to stay where it is."

He looked towards his mother, who was wearing a hard glare towards her son.

"Gohan, how do you expect to become a respectable scholar if you look like a roughed up hooligan?!"

Gohan sighed and closed his eyes for a moment, thinking about what he would do. When he opened his eyes again, Chi Chi was surprised to see them full of sorrow. He looked at her pleading for her to understand before he even opened his mouth to speak.

"Mother, this scar is more than just a mark on my face, just like the one on my shoulder. I need it, to remind me of what I failed to do. I will still keep my studies for you, but please understand that now, my priority is not studying. I have to be able to fill in my father's shoes. Please understand."

Chi Chi's heart melted at the softness and sincerity of his voice. She couldn't tell him no. She just nodded and stepped away from her son to allow Dende in to work on his shoulder. She left the room and wandered the halls, lost in thought. She held a hand over her lower stomach, deep in thought about what the future would hold.

"Hey Chi Chi! Are you alright? Gohan is here, I felt it, is he okay?"  
Chi Chi was surprised to discover that she had made her way outside onto the lookout, and Krillin had just landed next to her and was looking up at her curiously. She smiled softly at the monk, trying to put him at ease.

"Yes Krillin, we're both alright. Well I am anyways. Gohan took Goku's death much worse than I feared. He's convinced that he killed his father, and I told him something that sent him over the edge. He ran away and nearly killed himself. Dende is looking over him right now, but he should be fine."

Krillin tilted his head to the side in confusion, wondering what she could have said that would cause that sort of reaction from his friend. But before he could voice his question, a large yellow jet roared up over the edge of the lookout and set down before them, revealing the Z-gang that had been at capsule corp, minus Vegetta and Mirai Trunks, who had returned to his own time several days before.

Bulma burst out of the jet followed quickly by the other z-fighters, and rushed over to her friend, Trunks cradled in her arm giggling madly.

"Chi Chi! Are you alright? The guys said that they felt Gohan come back! What happened?"

Chi Chi took a deep breath and retold the story as best she could. She knew that Gohan had not told her everything about his time away from her, but she didn't want to press it and upset his already fragile temper. The Z-gang were all shocked by Gohan's reaction to Goku's death. None of them believed it was his fault that Goku was dead. Krillin stood there, eyes downcast as he realized that he could have also prevented it by destroying the androids before cell could become complete. He was pulled out of his thoughts when Tien voiced what he had been wondering earlier.

"But Chi Chi, what happened to actually send him over the edge like that? He was here for two weeks with these feelings, something must have happened."

Chi Chi sighed again before looking directly at Bulma. Her expression was remorseful and sad.

"I'm pregnant again. Goku left me with a child on the way, and Gohan lost it when I told him. He nearly killed Piccolo and then ran off and nearly killed himself. Like I said before, someone helped him but he was pretty roughed up. You'll just have to see when Dende is finished with him."

The gang was quiet as she spoke, each lost in their own thoughts before Bulma broke the silence by squealing and pulling Chi Chi into a strong one-armed hug.

"Chi Chi that's fantastic! Gohan is gonna have a little sibling! Oh my how far along are you?! Do you know?"

The tension broke as Chi Chi chuckled at her friend's antics.

"I don't know for certain Bulma, I'm guessing around one month though."

Bulma grinned at her and looked to the others before bouncing up and down on the spot, making Trunks squeal in delight.

"Oh we have GOT to celebrate this! The rest of the world is celebrating that goofball 'defeating cell', so we have to have something to celebrate right? I say we go back to my place!"

Chi Chi nodded and mumbled her consent. It would be good for her and Gohan to take their minds off of Goku for a while.

**Did you notice them all? Please R&R, and feel free to ask questions! They make me think and get ideas floating around in my thick skull =)**


	4. Double the Burden

**Hey you guys, shorter chapter here! This is the last one that I "pre wrote" and edited. It'll be a little longer until the next one is up.**

** I just have 2 words for ya... Plot. Twist... I'll let you figure out where i'm going with this! Enjoy!**

**Chapter 4: Double the burden**

***SIX MONTHS LATER, SON RESIDENCE***

Gohan scribbled randomly on the sheet of paper in front of him, not really paying attention to the physics book laid out in front of him. There was something wrong, and he couldn't put his finger on it. His mother's pregnancy was coming along quickly, almost too quickly. Her ki was all over the place now, which made sense to him considering she was sharing with another being, but something still felt off. She had gotten bigger than he anticipated, and she was eating a lot. It wasn't necessarily that anything was going wrong with his mother, it just felt weird. His musings were interrupted by a wad of paper hitting him upside the head. He glared over at the girl who had thrown it. Lime grinned at him in an innocent manner and waved from where she sat next to a tree at the edge of his yard.

"Oh come on Gohan, I know you're not really mad! What's going on in that thick noggin of yours? You're obviously not doing any actual work there, you just drew a rather bad rendition of a cat… Why does it have a toaster pastry for a body?"

Gohan tried desperately to keep glaring at her, but he just couldn't do it. Sometimes it felt like she was the only person he could actually relax around. He chuckled and rolled his eyes before leaning back on his hands, feeling the grass poke up between his fingers.

"It's nothing Lime, I'm just worried about mom is all. Besides I already did all of this stuff a couple weeks ago so that I could get ahead in my studies. Heh, more than anything I just try to help you with yours. Though I don't know why you agreed to study under her."

Lime slumped to the side, resting her head on one of her hands and she half-heartedly glared at him.

"Why do you have to be so darn smart? You're making me look bad! And anyways you didn't answer my question… Why does that cat have a –"

"Toaster pastry body? You know I honestly have no idea… my hands kinda just do their own thing when my mind runs off like that."

With that he promptly crossed out the doodle of the cat-thing and shut his book. He sighed and looked at Lime, who was just watching him from where she sat. He really did owe her a lot. He had returned to see her only a few days after he had returned home with his mother, and explained his whole story to her. At first she was skeptical, but as time went on she seemed to accept it, and she didn't judge him for it. He was truly lucky to have a friend like her.

"I wonder what your little brother or sister is going to be like? I mean I know that Saiyans look like humans, but I can't help imagining little grey-men type things. You just don't seem like an alien."

Gohan laughed at the thought. Somehow a little skinny grey man wearing his gi and a wig popped into his mind, and he was forcefully reminded of an American TV show called 'American Dad'. He waved away the mental image and gave her the Son grin.

"You do remember that I was born with a tail right? There's a distinct possibility that my little sibling will have one as well, though I think mom might just have it cut off. It's a severe risk to leave it. I think I told you about the Oozaru transformation right?"

Lime nodded and then furrowed her brow in thought. She glanced at Gohan a moment and then stared at the grass, pulling up some leaves and braiding them together absent-mindedly.

"Hey Gohan… I've been meaning to ask you. Why did you decide to tell me all of this stuff? I mean you have your mother, and all of your other friends right? So… Why was I included?"

She blanched at the hurt look he gave her.

"N-Not that it's a bad thing, in fact I'm really happy you told me everything. I just don't know why you trust me."

He softened his glare and stared at his hands.

_They look exactly as they did that day. Nothing has changed. I still took away my father, even if my mother has started to move on. Even if she says it's not my fault, I know I'm still guilty._

"It's because… well… It's because you aren't someone who was close to my father. You're the only person I can confide in who wasn't attached to my father besides Vegetta. I couldn't face any of them without knowing that I was the cause of their grief. Vegetta is a full blooded Saiyan. According to him, he knows everything there is to know, and he isn't one to listen to a low-class half breed. You listen to me because it's me. To you I'm not the son of Goku, I'm Gohan."

"But what about your mom? Why don't you go to her ever? I've seen how you act around her, and I know that you just put on a mask for her so she doesn't worry."

_Damn she's good at this. She knows me better than I thought._

"I killed her husband and left her child without a father. All that's left is me, and I can't put any more of a burden on her than I already have."

Silence reigned in the meadow by the Son home. The light breeze picked up a slight chill in the autumn air and brought a fresh scent of fallen leaves. Gohan looked up into the afternoon sky and watched a flock of water fowl flying over.

"You know, you're her child too."

Gohan dropped his gaze from the sky to see Lime looking at him with a frown. She was worried about him and it was showing.

"Lime please, I don't want to go over this again. I may be her flesh and blood, but the moment I let her down, and dad died, was the moment I gave up the right to be her son. I love her, but I refuse to think of myself as her son, for her sake."

Lime didn't say anything in response, she just sat there staring at the grass she was braiding. She paused and held it up for Gohan to see. It was a simple ring, too small to have fit on anyone's finger, but it was beautiful. The different colors of the grass blended together to make it multi-colored.

"Gohan I know what you're feeling. I lost both of my parents when cell attacked and I remember what it felt like. But you're the closest friend I have, and you're like a brother to me. Just know that I don't care what it's about, that you can always come talk to me alright?"

She pressed the ring of grass into his palm, wrapping his hand in her two smaller ones and smiling weakly at him. He could feel his eyes burning, and fought to keep the tears back. It had been months since he'd cried, and he was determined to keep it that way. Finally, he managed to clear his throat of the lump that threatened to strangle him.

"Thank you Lime. I honestly don't know what I'd have done without you."

She smirked at him and raised an eyebrow, poking him on the left side of his forehead where the scar started.

"If I had to guess, you would have gone crazy and crashed into some more trees, huh monkey boy? I think I'm going to start calling you George."

Gohan pouted at her and rubbed the left side of his face.

"That's not very nice Lime, you know that was an accident."

Lime giggled and pushed Gohan over. He huffed and sat back up, mock-glaring at her.

"GOHAAAN! LIIIIME! DINNER!"

Gohan and lime both looked towards the Son home where Chi Chi was waving at them, her bulging belly obvious, even from this distance. Lime got to her feet and sprinted towards the house, calling over her shoulder, "Last one there has to clear the table!"

Gohan chuckled and looked at the ring in his hand. It meant a lot to him to hear Lime say that he was like a brother to her. The ring was instantly precious to him, and he decided he would make sure that it would stay as it was. Pushing some of his energy into his hand, he laced it into the fibers of the grass, causing it to glow slightly before returning to its original color. The fibers of grass had all melded together, leaving the ring in a solid band of multiple colors. He smiled and tucked it into his gi pocket before sprinting off towards the house himself.

***NEARLY TWO MONTHS LATER – CAPSULE CORP***

Bulma got up from her bed, grumbling about being disturbed in the middle of the night. Who in their right mind would be ringing her bell at this time? She glanced at her husband as he slept quietly. He had changed a lot since the incident with the androids. He had even agreed to be married by human standards. She smiled lightly at the thought, before she noticed the clock next to him that said it was two in the morning.

She cursed quietly before putting on a robe and walking to intercom in the hall by the front door. Lightning flashed outside as a winter storm raged outside. It wasn't nearly cold enough to snow here, but she could hear rain hammering onto the domed roof of her home. She pressed the external camera view and almost screamed in shock when she saw Gohan standing there frantically trying to protect his mother from the elements and keep her on her feet.

"Oh my Kami Chi Chi! VEGETTA GET OUT HERE!"

She opened the door and rushed out to her best friend's side, ignoring the rain that came pounding down onto her head. She grabbed her arm and slung it over her shoulder before dragging her to the building. Vegetta appeared in the doorway, his expression cold and serious.

"Brat! What the hell is wrong with the harpy?"

Gohan clenched his teeth at his choice of words but decided to let it slide until later. He helped Bulma get his mother into the building before Vegetta halted them both and picked Chi Chi up bridal style, motioning for Bulma to lead the way. Gohan followed, stunned by the older Saiyan's actions.

"I don't know what happened! Her ki went nuts and then plummeted while she was sleeping! She woke up for a little while but she's so weak now, and I don't know what's causing it!"

Vegetta grunted and followed Bulma into the medical wing of the building, dropping her onto one of the beds before moving to a position by the door to observe what was happening.

Bulma quickly got to work, checking her friends pulse and temperature. She quickly hooked her up to an IV and put an oxygen mask on her face. She drew blood from her other arm and pushed the vial into a machine across the room, and patiently waited while the results started to flash across the screen. Gohan sat next to his mother's bed, staring at her in fear. He knew he should have said something sooner about the fluctuations in her ki. Just another lapse in judgement, just like with Cell. He cursed himself for once again failing his mother.

"What in the world? Gohan has your mother been eating anything?"

Gohan started at the question, and stared at Bulma in disbelief. His mother had been eating way more than normal. He began to wonder if maybe she had eaten a poison or something. Instantly he began to panic as he thought about the child she was carrying.

"Yea, she's been eating way more than she normally does. Why, do you think that something she ate is doing this?"

Bulma rubbed the bridge of her nose and clenched her eyes while she thought. She sighed and dropped her hand to her lap, looking at her friend with concern.

"No, it's not something she ate. It's more something she _didn't_ eat. She's being nutrient starved and her body has started to shut down on her. Are you positive that she-"

"Dammit woman! Check the child! You know we Saiyans have extreme appetites, and if the harpy has been eating then that means it all has to be going somewhere!"

Bulma and Gohan glared at Vegetta and growled out, "She's not a harpy!" But Bulma conceded his point, and pulled out an ultrasound-like device that allowed her to see inside someone's body. She held the baton-like scanner over Chi Chi's swollen belly, passing it over multiple times until the machine beeped at her to tell her it was done. She returned the baton to its carriage and typed on the computer for a moment, and with a final click of the enter key, a picture emerged on the screen. She gasped and looked at Gohan, who felt himself pale. Bulma's jaw was still slack as she grabbed the edge of the screen and turned it towards him. There, clear as day, was a clear outline of not one, but two children curled up in the fetal position.

***THE NEXT MORNING***

_Twins! This is just fucking fantastic! I should have been able to tell that she was carrying twins! Dimmit Gohan, you really screwed this all up. You've left not one, but _two _children without a father! Gah why did I have to be so stupid?!_

Gohan pushed himself off the floor of the Gravity room for his thousandth pushup. He stood and shuffled to the control console and pushed the gravity up from X450 to X500. The extra weight dragged on him and he sunk to his knees. He furrowed his brow and pushed himself back up, reveling in the burning sensation in his legs. He took a stance and began a kata that Piccolo had taught him when he was younger.

His shoulder ached in protest to the movements, but he was no longer hindered by the injury. He flowed through the kata, grumbling to himself and refusing to transform to make it easier on himself. As he finished, he glanced at the clock on the console. 10 in the morning. Bulma had said she would take care of Chi Chi, but he was getting more and more worried by the minute. As if on cue, the door to the GR opened, and the gravity cut out. Gohan straightened himself out and turned towards the door as Vegetta stepped in and shut the door behind him. He was still in his night wear, which included only a pair of spandex shorts. He leaned up against the wall and crossed his arms, glaring at Gohan intently.

"Your mother is fine brat. The woman got her hooked up to a machine that is feeding her the necessary nutrients. She's close to giving birth already though, so she'll be staying here until then."

Gohan nodded and crossed his arms as well. He returned the prince's glare, waiting for him to say something else. When he didn't he returned to the console and began inputting the commands to raise the gravity.

"I know what you're dealing with brat."

Gohan glanced over at Vegetta, startled at the softness of the statement. This was only the second time he had spoken to him in that tone, the first being when he had apologized during the Cell games.

"When Freeza took our planet, and my father with it, I felt like it was my fault. I felt that the destruction of our race suddenly fell on my shoulders, even though at the time, I was only a toddler. Your situation is different I know, but take it from someone who has been there, do not let it eat away at you. You remember how I was when I first arrived here. Do not make my mistake."

With that, he turned and left the gravity room leaving Gohan to consider his words in silence.

***TWO WEEKS LATER***

"Hang in there mom! We're almost done!"

Gohan winced as his mother gripped his hand as tight as she could. On the opposite side of the bed, Grandpa Ox winced in a similar fashion as his daughter tried to crush the life out of his hand. She wailed as another contraction racked her body. At the end of the bed, Bulma was trying to coach her best friend. She was wearing a surgical mask and gloves, and was giving out orders to her two medical staff personnel who had helped her deliver Trunks.

"Come on Chi Chi, just give a push, the first one is right there!"

Gohan could only watch as his mother's eyes grew wide and she screamed. He was beginning to realize why Vegetta referred to her as a banshee sometimes. The assault on his ears was met with a new sound: that of a baby's cough and then crying. Bulma quickly cut the cord and handed the child to one of her medical staff who rushed to wash the crying child, which already had a full head of hair, and a long brown tail that was flailing about.

_So they do have tails._

Chi Chi panted quietly for a moment, her grip on her father's and son's hands softening for a moment before another contraction shook her body and she screamed again. Her cries continued on until once again the sound was broken by the cough and cries of a child.

Bulma rushed to the wash station and began working immediately on the child. Gohan returned his attention to his mother, who was panting and sweating. Her grip had gone and now she was struggling to stay awake. The Ox King patted her shoulder affectionately and flexed his hand that had been crushed.

"You did well Chi Chi."

She just panted and nodded her head. Bulma and her assistant both appeared at the bedside each with a bundle in their arms. Gohan was startled to see one of them; the one wrapped in a blue blanket. His hair stood on end in a very familiar pattern, and he was crying his eyes out. Gohan paled and stood. He was frozen in place as he looked upon his little brother for the first time.

_Oh Kami, he looks just like dad. How will I ever be able to live with that on my conscience?_

The other child had messy looking black hair, not unlike Gohan's when he was younger. She was wrapped in a pink blanket, and was quiet as could be. She seemed to be sound asleep. Both of the children's tails were hanging loosely from the bundles they sprouted from. The assistant leaned over the bed and passed the little boy over into Chi-Chi's waiting arms. She smiled down at the child, and almost started crying when she realized how much he looked like his father. She looked up at Bulma, and made room for the second child in her arms. Bulma leaned in and settled the girl in Chi Chi's grasp, and took a seat near all the equipment to catch her breath.

"What are you going to name them sweety?"

Chi Chi looked up at her father, then back down to the children in her arms. The little boy had stopped crying, and had his tail wrapped firmly around his mother's arm. She looked thoughtful for a moment before looking at Gohan. His expression was fearful, and Chi Chi knew what he was thinking.

_He saw how much his brother looks like Goku. I know he's still beating himself up over what happened. I hope this works._

"Gohan, I want you to meet your little brother, Goten, and your little sister, Ria."

Gohan looked apprehensively at the bundles for a moment before stepping forward as his mother offered the little girl in her right arm to him. He hesitated for a moment before extending his hands the rest of the way and taking his little sister into his arms. Almost instantly, the girl's tail found its way to his wrist and wrapped itself around his arm tightly. As he cradled the girl in his arms, he felt a wall inside himself crack, and instantly his eyes began to water.

"Hey there Ria."

He moved a stray hair from her face, tracing his finger over her incredibly soft skin. The bundle instantly shifted, and the girl grabbed onto his finger with a deathgrip that would put his mothers to shame. He smiled at the girl, the first genuine smile his mother had seen in several months. She shifted the other bundle in her arms, getting Gohan's attention, and then passed the other child into his grasp as well.

Like his sister, Goten instantly wrapped his tail around his older brother's arm. Gohan looked between the two of them, and his smile wavered as guilt crashed in on him. The emotional wall he had so carefully constructed came tumbling down and he broke down into tears. He looked up at his mother watching him carefully. She looked so hopeful, so fragile. He made up his mind.

He leaned in close to his little siblings and whispered to them, so that only they could hear.

"No matter what, I will protect you. I failed you once already, but never again. I can't be your father, but I will make sure that you grow up without the need to fight. You will get the childhood I never had. I love you both."

He gently kissed them both on the forehead and stood to pass them back to his mother before turning and leaving the room to compose himself.

Ox watched the interaction and sighed heavily.

"He just hasn't been the same since Goku. What do you think he said Chi Chi?"

Chi Chi frowned and looked at the door her oldest son had just walked through. She didn't answer him, just contemplated the events she just witnessed.

_I know he's still tormenting himself in there. Still, he finally opened up when he held his brother and sister. I may not be able to get him to open up to me anymore, but now he has these two. Maybe there is still hope to save what's left of him._

She smiled slightly at the thought and cradled the two children In her arms closer.

**A/N: Who saw that one coming? I always wondered what it would be like if Gohan had a sister instead of a brother. I realize that I probably wouldn't be able to get rid of Goten so I decided, this is my fanfic right? Why not both?!**


	5. The Legend Returns

**OOPS... Sorry about that one guys, I guess I didn't save the chapter before I published it. Anywhats here we go! fully updated!  
**

**I read all of your reviews and i'm taking into consideration everything that you guys say! I may or may not use it, after all I have my own bit of the story to contribute no? Anywhats keep them coming, it's great to see it from another perspective. On to the story!**

**CHAPTER 5: The Legend Returns**

** *FOUR YEARS LATER – SATAN RESIDENCE***

Hercule walked into his mansion, shoulders slumped and a tired expression on his face. He had just barely managed to shut the doors on the reporters gathering outside, trying to get the newest scoop on his trip out of country. This trip had not gone as planned. Sure the schedule had been followed, and his press conferences were executed on time, but something went wrong.

** ~~~FLASHBACK~~~**

Hercule marched up to the podium confidently, his usual smirk on his face as the people in the crowd cheered him on. He had been living the high life for the last few years, and his daughter was thriving at home. He took the podium and motioned for the press to begin asking questions.

"Mr. Satan, it's been more than four years since the Cell games, and the world still wants to know: How did you do it? We've all seen the footage of those men using 'light tricks and explosives' as you called them, but you only went in with your fists! How did you do manage to kill a being who resorted to such methods?"

"Superior fighting ability my good man! I'm afraid that I cannot tell you the exact events, as it would reveal too much about my fighting abilities to potential enemies. Next question!"

The crowd babbled loudly as everyone tried to get the upper hand and ask their question. Finally, a short blonde woman stood in front of the crowd and made herself heard.

"Mr. Satan, it's been brought to the world's attention that your daughter, Videl, has been training in your dojo, and is rumored to be one of the best fighters there! Can you give us any more information?"

Hercule beamed with pride at how well his daughter had progressed. It was true, his daughter was by far the best fighter at his dojo, and she was beginning to become a woman. It was often difficult to keep the boys away from her. She took after her mother's looks after all.

"Yes, Videl is one of my most dedicated student's there-"

"Sir do you know about her rumored romance within the dojo? Word is that she has caught the attention of several of your students. Without the guidance of her mother and with you on tour all the time, is there a possibility that she may be romantically involved?"

Hercule was raging in his head. _There had better not be any 'romantic involvement' with my daughter. She's too young! I swear if any of those runts hurt her…__  
_

"There will be no such thing without my consent! Let this message go out to all the men who would make advances on my little girl: If you want to be with her, then you will have to be able to beat me in a fight! That is the _only _way that you will be able to take better care of her than I can!"

The mob of reporters chattered away animatedly at the champ's declaration. He crossed his arms and nodded with a finality. The same blonde reporter as before spoke up again.

"One last question from me Mr. Satan. How has Videl been able to advance so well in your dojo at her age? Have you been telling her the stories of how you beat Cell? Does she know your secret?"

** ~~~End Flashback~~~**

The reporter didn't really ask a difficult question, but it had made his stomach drop through the ground. He'd gotten so comfortable in his lie that he had failed to tell his own daughter, the last bit he had left of his wife, that her livelihood was all funded by a lie. She went through her days as happy as any child could, and it was all a lie. He had waved off the question, stating again that it he wouldn't give up the information to potential enemies, but the damage was done. Guilt had ate away at him constantly for the last couple days since the interview.

He had to tell her. If nothing else, she needed to know the truth, lest she find out on her own. He would just have to beg her forgiveness and explain that it was all for her.

The subject of his thoughts appeared at the top of the stairs in the main hall, her black hair flowing free down her back as she had just gotten out of the shower.

_She really does look just like her mother._

"Hey daddy! Guess what? I sparred Sharpener today, and managed to ring him out in three minutes!"

He tried his best to smile up at her as she bound down the stairs two at a time before hugging him around his middle. She noticed that something was wrong as she looked up into her hero's troubled expression.

"Daddy what's wrong?"

Hercule sighed and closed his eyes. He waited a moment to calm his nerves and opened his eyes to look at his daughter.

"We need to have a talk sweet pea…"

She furrowed her brow and scowled.

"Dad, if this is about that whole boy thing that lady mentioned the other day, I can assure you it's not true."

The corners of his lips twitched at her seriousness, but another pang of guilt hit him, and he shook his head slightly.

"No sweet pea, it's not about that. Come with me, I need to tell you something."

***10 MINUTES LATER***

She couldn't believe what she was hearing. She was livid, and more than a little bit hurt. She was devastated. She stared at the man who she had considered her hero, who couldn't even manage to look her in the eye. Instead he was choosing to inspect his hands clasped in front of him as he sat on the couch.

"Y-You can't be serious. How can that be true, you had to have killed Cell! Everyone, the whole world! Everyone believes it!"

The cold that had started to form around the pit of her stomach exploded into a hollow emptiness when he looked at her finally. His expression said it all. Five years of guilt poured out of her father in that one moment, and she knew it was all true. Her hands went numb, and she felt a new emotion grip her that she couldn't identify.

'That my dear Videl, is shame. You've been living off of other people for the last five years because they believed your father's lie. A lie that you have bragged about since that day.'

_Shut up! I don't need a voice in the back of my head telling me these things! I don't want to hear it!_

'Ah but Videl, you need to hear it. You need to feel the shame. You've taken from the people what isn't yours, with no remorse. What would they think if they knew?'

_GET OUT OF MY HEAD!_

'It's as much my head as your own. Remember, I'm you.'

"YOU SON OF A BITCH!"

Her temper snapped, and she stepped forward, slapping her father across the face hard. She balled her hands into fists and pressed them against the sides of her head and clenched her eyes shut against the tears that threatened to overwhelm her. Mr. Satan just looked at his daughter in shock. He had expected her to be upset, but he hadn't counted on this.

"How could you do this?! How could you lie to the people of this city like that? How could you lie to _me_? How could you let me just live my life, taking from these people, knowing that we didn't deserve it?"

"Videl, please I just wanted the best for you. When the games ended and nobody was left except for me and the tall green guy, he told me to take the credit. When the time came, I just did what I could to make sure that you would be happy!"

"For me?! Who gave you the right to make that decision for me?! I've lived off of the people of this city for almost five years, and I thought that we had earned it! You were my hero, and I looked to you for everything! You lied to me!"

Now the tears were flowing freely as she glared at her father. Something that until this day, she never thought she could do. She could feel her own guilt and shame beginning to overwhelm her, and bolted for the door. Without sparing a backwards glance at her father, she sprinted to her room and locked the door behind her before collapsing on her bed, clutching the pillow to her chest. She let the tears come, there was no point in stopping it now. Sobs racked her body as she dwelt on the lie that was her life.

***MEANWHILE AT THE SON RESIDENCE***

Gohan looked at himself in the mirror. He traced the thin scar that adorned his face from his forehead to his left cheek. It wasn't nearly as noticeable as it was when he was younger, and his features more closely resembled a man's now. He was nearly sixteen, and he had just gone through a major growth-spurt. He was already a bit taller than his mother, and he still had a long ways to go before he was done. His chest and arms began to fill out more, and his jaw-line became more defined. He had begun to cut his hair a bit shorter, and it began to stand on its own, seeming to defy gravity. But despite all these changes, one thing remained the same: His eyes. His eyes had never really regained the light they used to carry. They were haunted, as much a scar as the one on his face, and the one stretched across his left shoulder and arm.

It had been nearly five years since the Cell games. He had a little brother and a little sister whom he would give up everything for. The two now tail-less demi-saiyans were each a bundle of endless energy, and when they got together with Trunks, all hell would break loose. He had Lime, who had never once in their years of being friends considered him to be anything but a brother. He gently fingered the ring hanging around his neck by a leather cord, reminiscing the day that he had gotten it from her. He wanted them all to be happy, and he did his best to make it so every day. All of the Z fighters looked at him with respect and wonder for the young man he had become. Something he felt that he still hadn't earned.

He was interrupted by a loud knocking on the bathroom door.

"Big brother hurry up! I wanna go out and play and Ria is being all boring!"

He quickly tucked away the ring beneath his red undershirt before opening the bathroom door. Instantly, tiny four year old form of Goten bolted into the room and clutched onto his older brothers leg. His mother had him dressed in a traditional blue shirt and trousers, and his hair stuck out in all directions much like his fathers. He grinned up at his idol causing Gohan to chuckle at the boy's antics. He reached down and picked up his younger brother, hefting him up to sit behind his head on his shoulders.

"Hey squirt, be nice to your sister! You know how she gets when she's angry, and we don't want to see her get angry do we?"

Goten pouted and rested his chin on his older brothers head, looking at him through the mirror with the biggest puppy dog eyes he could manage.

"But Gohaaan! She's being so _boring_! She's just downstairs playing with her silly dolls!"

Gohan chuckled at his adorable whininess and turned to leave the bathroom, ducking slightly so that he didn't hit his brothers head on the doorframe, damaging it again.

"Well we can't have any of that now can we squirt? Alright where is she? I'll go out and play with you guys"

No sooner had the words left his mouth than his little sister appeared out of nowhere as a bright orange and black blur and crashed into his stomach. He doubled over and fell on his rear, Goten spilling off his shoulders and laying there in a dazed state. Gohan looked down at his sister wearing an Orange kimono and black pants designed like the one their mother wore all the time. She was grinning from ear to ear as she bounced happily on his chest in anticipation, her smoothed out hair bouncing around her shoulders.

"Gohan-are-you-really-gonna-play-with-us-it's-been-forever-since-you-played-this-is-gonna-be-so-awesome-can-we-call-Icarus-I-wanna-fly –again-those-dolls-are-cool-but-"

"Whoa there runt! Take a breath for Kami's sake! And I played with you guys yesterday!"

She was about to respond when she was suddenly tackled by Goten and went rolling across the floor with him in an orange and blue blur. Before they could really get into it, he grabbed them each by the collar and held them up at eye level. He chuckled as they both looked at him with a hurt expression.

"Let's take this outside squirts, we don't want mom to break out the pan now do we?"

Both of the children blanched and cringed before breaking free of his grasp and bolting for the front door, screaming incoherently about "not wanting Mr. Pan". Gohan watched them leave a moment before smiling to himself and following. He heard a soft chuckle and stopped as his mother leaned up against the kitchen door-frame leading to the common area.

"Thank you sweety, I don't know how much longer I could take having to play 'dress-up barbie' with Ria."

Gohan paused a moment, gazing at his mother. She was happier this last year than at any point since the twins were born. He wondered how she managed to be so happy now. Granted, he had been able to move past the pain of losing his father, at least to everyone elses knowledge. He still struggled with himself, and he only truly felt happy around his little siblings and Lime, but his mother seemed to have completely recovered. If Gohan hadn't known better, she would appear to have still been happily living with Goku.

Emptying his head of those thoughts, he gave her a weak lopsided smile and nodded. He waved to her as he left and chased after his two younger sibllings.

Chi Chi sighed and went back to cooking, her thoughts straying to her oldest son and the relationship he had with the twins. They idolized him, and looked to him for everything, just as Gohan himself had done with Goku as a young child. She sighed again and looked out the window to see the twins tackle him again.

_Oh Goku, I wish you could be here to see your children. You would be so proud of Gohan now; he's turned out to be such a fine young man. The way he behaves with the twins, you'd think he was their father. I just wish he would let more people into his life. He misses you. I miss you. Wherever you are, I hope you are watching over us._

***OUTSIDE***

Gohan struggled to get a hold of the twins as the climbed all over him, doing their best to keep him pinned to the ground. He managed to grab a hold of Goten and thrust his arm upward tossing him into the air. Ria paused her assault on Gohan's legs to watch her twin disappear, his laughter fading into the distance until she couldn't see him anymore. She turned her wide eyes to her older brother as he smirked up at the sky.

"Wow big brother! That's even higher than last time!"

She turned her eyes back to the sky as Gohan stood up with her still attached to his left leg. They stood there for a little while until she let go of Gohan's leg and stood in front of him, hands on her hips and what she thought was an intimidating scowl on her face. In reality it was just a pout.

"Gohan, why don't you ever throw _me_ that high?"

Gohan just chuckled and returned his eyes to the sky. Soon enough faint laughter could be heard and Goten burst back through a cloud as he descended towards the earth. Gohan simply reached out as he descended and caught the squirming four year old as he tried to control his laughter.

"Come on squirts, what do you say we go for a little flight?"

Both children's eyes lit up at the mention of their favorite thing to do with their older and started to babble excitedly. Gohan smiled and dropped Goten next to his sister, and turned his back to them, inhaling deeply.

"NIIIMBUUUS! ICARUUUUS!"

His calls echoed over the landscape for miles before fading into the distance. He turned back to the twins, who were covering their ears with a dazed expression. In an identical fashion, they shook their heads and glared at Gohan, crossing their little arms in front of their chests. Gohan almost burst out laughing at the looks they were giving him.

Before they could say a word, Gohan disappeared in a light purple flash. The twins stared at the spot where their brother had been standing a moment before, trying to figure out what had happened. "Icarus cut it out! Hahaha come on boy get off me!"

Goten and Ria turned to where the laughter was coming from and saw that Gohan was pinned underneath the dragon, and was getting licked all over. Icarus had grown a considerable amount over the years, and was now large enough to pick up a car. He had slimmed out, his neck and tail growing much longer, and his wings expanding to catch up with the rest of his body. He looked like a proper dragon now, but he still acted like a puppy.

The twins giggled and jumped on Icarus in an attempt to "save" their trapped brother. The dragon reluctantly got up to try and capture the two children that were scrambling to stay out of the dragons reach. The nimbus dropped out of the sky an hovered next to where Gohan lay, trying to catch his breath. He got up and dusted himself off and smiled at the three.

"Go ahead and get settled in up there you two!"

The children stopped tickling the dragon's belly and scrambled up his rough hide to his back. They sat there bouncing and giggling as they waited to leave. Gohan turned and hopped on the golden cloud waiting patiently for him, and looked around trying to think of where they should go.

"Wait gohan!"

Gohan spun on the cloud and looked towards the Son home. Lime was waving at him from the front of the house. He smiled and returned the wave, beckoning her to join them. She sprinted towards them and stopped next to the nimbus trying to catch her breath. She no longer wore her hair in the braided pigtails, instead choosing to just tie it back in a lazy ponytail. She had grown considerably, but still was dwarfed by Gohan. She was a full year younger than him, and only came up to his chest. She was wearing a loose pair of jeans and a button up shirt.

"Hey guys! Where are you going?"

She looked around at the four of them, her emerald eyes sparkling with excitement. The children and Icarus looked at Gohan expectantly, who just gave them all a smirk before offering his hand to Lime.

"I think, that we will just have to go exploring."

"In other words monkey boy, you have no idea."

She smirked at him as he stuck his tongue out at her. Before she knew what was going on she was being dragged up onto the cloud with a small "eep!". She clutched onto Gohan's arm as the cloud zoomed off into the sky, leaving the forest behind them in a blur. Lime slowly opened up her eyes to glare at him only to see him giving her the son grin.

"JERK!"

***UNKNOWN PLACE***

A child's laugh echoed through the dark cave, mixing with the sound of moisture dropping from the ceiling. A moment later silence reigned once again.

"_NIIIMBUUUS! ICARUUUUS!"_

The calls echoed even louder through the cave than the child's laughter. A moment later, silence reigned supreme once again, only to be shattered as the floor of the cave erupted in a flash of golden light, revealing an arm that was clenched in a fist.

***ON THE LOOKOUT***

Piccolo sat in silence. Behind him, Popo was running about watering the plants in the garden like normal, and Dende was standing at the edge of the lookout, observing the world below him. It had truly been peaceful the last few years. Only the normal natural disasters and petty human crime had ever come to the attention of the young guardian, and Piccolo had devoted lots of time to meditation between sparring sessions with Gohan. The former guardian felt his student's ki leave the Son home with his two younger siblings in tow, and resumed his meditation, making a mental note of where they were going.

He was only in meditation for a few moments when his eyes snapped open and he gasped.

_There's no way! He shouldn't even be alive! What is _he_ doing here?!_

He glanced over at Dende, who was staring off into the distance, his eyes wide as he felt the ki that Piccolo had, confirming his suspicion. Piccolo shot up and looked around, identifying where the ki was coming from.

_Oh no… _

"GOHAN!"

***SOMEWHERE IN THE MOUNTAINS***

Gohan laughed and poked lime in the side, making her squeal and jump before grabbing onto his arm so that she didn't fall off.

"Gohan that's not funny! What if I fell o-"

"KAKAROTT!"

Gohan didn't have time to react as the glowing green ball of ki struck him in the side of the head, throwing him off of nimbus and tumbling towards the ground, dragging Lime with him. She screamed as she fell off the side of the cloud still clutching onto his arm.

"Big brother!"

The twins could only watch as Gohan fell, unconscious with Lime still clinging to him for dear life. Suddenly, Icarus tilted forward as he dived after Gohan and Lime, trying in vain to catch them before they hit the ground.

Gohan came to mere moments before the ground came up to meet them. His confused look changed to one of panic as he realized what was happening, and he pulled Lime into his embrace and attempted to slow their descent. He managed to thrust his ki downwards enough to slow them before he hit the ground, Lime still cradled against him as he slid across the slope of a mountain. He felt his shirt tear off completely and his pants get pulled apart below the knees. Finally he skidded to a stop, leaving a trench in the ground behind him.

Icarus dropped to the ground rapidly, landing next to the fallen teenagers. Immediately, Goten and Ria jumped off his back and ran to their brother. Lime was quaking in his grasp but was otherwise unharmed, while Gohan had fallen unconscious again. The twins turned to his assailant and took up the fighting stances that Gohan had taught them. Lime began shaking Gohan violently, trying to wake him up, and Icarus stood in front of them all, his teeth bared and his wings flared up in an attempt to shield the children from the man who had assaulted Gohan.

Goten glanced back at his brother and jumped forward, landing on Icarus' back to see his opponent. The man before him just stood there glaring at the young Saiyan. His hair was golden and spiky, shooting off in every direction. His teal colored eyes burned with the fires of hell itself. He was only clothed in a pair of baggy white pants and a red cape that hung around his waist. His well-muscled form was marred by a large red scar that covered him from mid-chest to his abs.

"Hey you jerk! What did you do that for?!"

The scowled at the young saiyan, barring his teeth at him and growling. He began to mumble something, getting louder as his hands balled into fists and his arms began to quake.

"-karott… Kakarott… KAKAROTT!"

The man let out an enraged scream and burst forward, and faster than Goten could comprehend, back-handed the young demi across the face, sending him flying off of Icarus and crashing into the mountain-side.

"Goten no!"

Ria balled her fists and prepared herself to rush the 'poopy head' as she had dubbed him in her mind, but was cut off by a deafening roar emitting from the throat of Icarus. The dragon reared up on his hind legs and threw his head forward, opening his maw and releasing an energy blast towards the man. She took the temporary distraction to dash to her twin's side, and nearly started crying out in panic when he wasn't moving. She shook him, wiping the blood from his face that trickled down from his hairline.

"Goten wake up! We need to help Gohan and Lime!"

She turned to check on her older brother and was surprised to find herself staring into a sea of white flapping in front of her face. She stared at it blankly for a moment, trying to figure out what it was.

"Ria, get Goten and Lime, and get the hell out of here."

The harsh voice shook her out of her shock and she looked up to see Piccolo standing before her, facing the poopy head.

"What about Gohan?!"

"Just do what I say!"

He pulled the turban from his head and dropped it at his side, sending up a cloud of dust and began pulling the cape over his shoulders. Not needing to be told twice, she turned and called for nimbus before grabbing her brother by the back of his shirt and dragging him towards the cloud. Piccolo finished pulling off his weighted clothes and stared down at his opponent as he swatted Icarus to the side, nearly landing him on top of Gohan and Lime.

"Broly! How did you survive?"

Broly turned his attention to the newcomer and gritted his teeth.

"K-Kakarott!"

He noticed Ria tossing the mini-Goku onto the cloud and narrowed his eyes. Piccolo traced his line of sight with his own and powered up.

"Ria hurry up and get out of here! He's after Goten!"

Seemingly on que, the super saiyan let out a roar and shot forward. Piccolo jumped in front of him, throwing his weight behind his fist as it connected with Broly's jaw. There was a large snap and Broly flew in the opposite direction, crashing into a tree as he flew. Piccolo rushed forward to keep up what little advantage he had and shouted at the young demi as she flew the cloud to where Lime was sitting.

"Go! I'll hold him off! Find Vegetta, tell him what happened!"

Piccolo began throwing everything he had at the super saiyan, who simply crossed his arms in front of his face and took it. He watched from in-between his hands as the yellow cloud shot off into the sky, carrying his query. He let loose a war cry and shot his hands out, trapping the namekians within his own. He jerked hard with his left arm, and a sickening pop and tear could be heard as Piccolo's right arm came free of its socket in his shoulder and was torn clean off. The former guardian screamed in pain before Broly brought the now-severed arm back behind his head and swung it forward like a club to crash into the side of Piccolo's head.

The Namekian shot off in the direction of the swing in a dazed state, trailing dark red, nearly purple blood. He crashed to the ground in a heap, clutching his side as he tried to overcome the pain. He gasped when he saw Broly float into the air, a green bubble shield forming around him. Broly held out his hand and the shield collapsed into it, forming a small ball of ki. He growled and furrowed his brow as more energy pumped into it. Broly turned his gaze away from the fallen Namekian and set his sights on the retreating cloud. Piccolo felt a weight drop in his stomach and his eyes widened in panic.

"RIA WATCH OUT BEHIND YOU!"

Ria turned on the cloud to see what was going on and paled when she saw Broly pull his arm back and throw the blast at her. It pulled closer and closer, arcing through the air gracefully before making contact with the cloud and exploding. Lime hugged the girl close to her and together they screamed in pain before blackness closed in around them.

**A/N: DUN-DUN-DUUUNNNN! CLIFFY! Sorry guys I couldn't resist =P. And no, sorry Videl and Gohan don't meet yet! And don't worry if you feel like I skipped something with Videl and Hercule, You're not wrong! I just wanted to leave that hanging out there so you can wonder until I put up the rest of it later (Muahuahahahaha!). Stay tuned, next chapter should be up soon!  
**


	6. Like a caged beast

**Hey guys! Sorry for the delay getting this up, work got a little hectic there for a while. But anyways, thanks for all of the reviews, I just want to shout out to a couple of people real quick!**

**Dyton – You've written a review so far for every one of my chapters and I'm loving the input! I hope that the rest of the story is as good for you as it has been for me.**

**Kurama FTW – Thanks for the feedback, I didn't realize that Vegeta was only spelled with one t, it's been a little while since I last watched the show. I SHALL FIX IT! (please let me know if there are any other errors I make)**

**Additionally I would like to address a couple of things about the story (and really the DBZ universe in general) that some people have been questioning (not a bad thing, it makes me think about why I write what I do):**

**In regards to the guest review that called out Gohan's shoulder being scarred… One thing I feel like was over-used in the show was the unlimited restorative capabilities of the senzu beans and Dende's healing powers. I felt it was always… well too OP to be honest, because it brought the fighters back to 100% regardless of the injury. I felt like Dende's powers should be limited by his skill and knowledge of ki manipulation, and that the senzu's should be limited by their potency (think alcohol: The stronger the drink, the bigger the effect) and by the time they had any senzu ready that could tackle that injury, it was already healed (to where it is now). Besides the vast majority of things that happen in this story will play a part later, including the scar.**

**All the people who consider my reason for Goku staying dead is not good enough (If there's one that says it there's bound to be more who think it): Don't take everything that I write at face value, there's more to the story than that! That's all I have to say =P**

**Alright sorry about the rant, I just had to get it out there since I didn't make that clear in the story! Now, everyone on to the story! R&R and enjoy!**

**Chapter 6: Like a caged beast**

Gohan's senses slowly began to come back under his control. First was his sight. His eyes groggily opened to take in a sea of blue. As his vision sharpened, he realized he was looking up at a sparsely clouded sky.

Then came his hearing. A faint ringing was echoing through his skull and he began hearing the sounds of screams. The ringing faded and he heard it clearly now. It was a man's scream, a very familiar one to. It was laced with pain.

_Pain._

Then it hit him full force. His back felt like it had been burned, and the side of his head felt as if it had been plowed over by a steamroller at the speed of sound. He grimaced and shut his eyes against the pain emanating from behind his eyes and tried to push himself up. His head spun and when he opened his eyes he was greeted with the most bizarre scene.

He was stripped of most of his clothes, only his shoes and a portion of his pants remaining. There was a trench stretching out from his feet for a good twenty feet.

_What the fuck?..._

Before he could make head or tail of what he was seeing, his sight was graced by Piccolo flying backwards and hitting the ground hard. Gohan was sickened to see that his old mentor was missing an arm and trailing blood. He watched in a state of shock as Piccolo tried to push himself up and grimaced. He was so confused, and nothing seemed to make sense. His vision blurred a couple times and he had a strange twitch pulling at his eye, like there was something he was missing just out of sight, but he couldn't figure out what.

Piccolo's eyes widened and he gasped and his gaze shifted upwards to the sky.

"RIA LOOK OUT BEHIND YOU!"

Gohan groggily turned his head to see what was going on and suddenly, all of his senses seemed to snap into place. There, standing in front of him was the legendary super saiyan himself. His senses suddenly recognized his ki and everything suddenly seemed sharp. He watched the super saiyan draw his arm back, ball of ki in it, and launch it towards a bright golden cloud that was retreating into the distance.

Time seemed to slow down to an impossibly slow rate as Gohan watched the blast curve upwards towards the nimbus. He saw as it impacted the cloud and the flash from the explosion blinded him. He heard the screams of his sister, and the screams of Lime, and ice shot through his veins.

His aura burst up around him, flashing white as he shot towards the cloud of smoke in the sky. He was focusing, trying hard to find the three smaller ki he so desperately needed to feel. He sped up even faster when he couldn't. As he neared, three forms fell out of the smoke, one after the other. He turned and gave chase to the nearest, grabbing his sister around the waist and slinging her under his arm before shooting towards then next one. He caught Goten and cradled him close to his chest with his free arm before turning to look for Lime.

He was surprised to find that she was already being held in the arms of the last person he expected.

"Vegeta?! What are you-? How did you know to be here?"

The prince sneered at the young demi and began to drop to the ground.

"I felt Broly from West City, and then the Namek gave chase. I couldn't resist the chance to go at him again."

He unceremoniously dropped Lime as he landed and immediately transforming to super saiyan.

"Deal with the Brats, I'll take the over-grown monkey!"

Gohan landed quickly and began checking over his brother and sister as Vegeta sped off towards Broly. He was relieved to see that they were both breathing, but they were in bad shape.

Goten definitely had a skull fracture and blood was oozing out of the wound just above his hair-line. His breathing was shallow, indicating he was probably suffering from a broken rib or two. His clothes were all burned away from the waist up, his traditional shirt hanging from his belt and one wrist in tatters, revealing a rather large burn on the demi's back.

Ria wasn't as bad as her brother, and her breathing was more regular. Most of her kimono was still intact, but her hands were severely burned as well as her face, and a large amount of her shoulder length hair was burned off. Her ki was fluctuating greatly, indicating that she had passed out from the pain of her burns. Gohan made sure that the two of them were stable before rushing over to where Vegetta had dropped lime.

He rolled her onto her side and almost gagged when he saw how badly she was wounded. It appeared that she had tried to shield Ria from the blast, because the entire back of her button up shirt was gone, along with a large amount of her skin. Blood oozed from the giant hole in her back, slicking the grass she was laying on. A small gurgle escaped her lips and Gohan realized that she was bleeding into her lungs.

Gohan started to panic, trying to figure out what to do. He looked around rapidly, trying to think of something and grabbed onto her hand as if to reassure her. He felt a cord of leather wrapped around her delicate fingers and pulled on it gently to reveal the ring she had given him years ago. He looked down and realized that she must have pulled it off of him when they crashed. He stared at the ring, as if it were able to give him the answers he seeked.

"_-you're the closest friend I have, and you're like a brother to me."_

The words echoed in his mind a moment and he clenched his eyes shut. The world around him was cut out and all he could focus on was the images flashing in his head.

The days spend with Lime in the meadow studying, then explaining his life story to her, watching her face change from happy to scared or sad as he retold everything. All of the good times they had together. When she had first met the twins, the day after they were born.

_"Gohan they're adorable! I'm so jealous of you! I don't have any brothers or sisters."_

_ "Don't I count? As far as I am concerned, you are family"_

Family. His family. His responsibility. The one thing he had determined was more important to anything else in the world.

_"No matter what, I will protect you. I failed you once already, but never again. I can't be your father, but I will make sure that you grow up without the need to fight. You will get the childhood I never had. I love you both."_

Something inside him snapped. He no longer cared what happened to himself. All that mattered was that Broly died, and that he were the one to make him pay.

***TO VEGETA***

Vegeta's eyes bulged out as the wind was knocked out of him by Broly's knee. He hadn't even recovered before the crazed saiyan clenched his hands together and jackhammered Vegeta in between the shoulder-blades, sending him careening towards the ground. Vegeta recovered enough to spin himself over and impact the ground feet first, sending a cloud of dust into the air and creating a small crater. He looked up right into the eyes of Piccolo who had risen to his feet and was attempting to regenerate his arm.

The prince launched himself skyward again to take on his opponent again. He halted when an all too new power level emerged, and he felt a chill crawl up his spine.

_There's no way that that is coming from… wait is that GOHAN?_

"BRAT!"

The second he turned to look, Broly landed a punch right across his face, sending the prince tumbling towards the Demi-saiyan who had distracted him. He grunted in pain and attempted to open his eyes right before he impacted the ground. He lay there panting for a moment before feeling the boy's ki spike yet again. He pushed himself up to look at the young demi-saiyan, who had already ascended to the second level of super saiyan. The boy had a murderous glint in his eye, and his hands were quivering with rage. He growled and locked eyes with Vegeta, giving the prince a sense of dread he had not felt since his fight with Freeza on Namek.

"Vegeta, get these three out of here. This son of a bitch is mine!"

Vegeta scowled and stood. He stomped over to the teenager and looked him dead in the eye, letting his pride get the better of him.

"Who the hell do you think you're trying to give orders to brat? I don't have to l-UGH!"

Gohan buried his fist in the stomach of the prince.

"Shut the fuck up _your highness_. I said get these three out of here before I lose my patience and kill you all!"

Vegeta didn't even try to hide the shock on his face. Not only had the boy manned up and struck him, the prince of all saiyans, but he had _actually _just threatened to kill everyone present, including the three brats he spent all of his time with.

_This is not Gohan._

Not wanting to feel the wrath of the enraged demi, Vegeta hurried to the three prone forms, picking up the two children with one arm and the girl with the other. He turned to where Piccolo was, and felt a wave of nausea as the namekians arm grew back in a split second, shooting out of his shoulder.

"NAMEK! WE NEED TO GO NOW!"

Piccolo looked up into the sky at Broly, who was staring intently at the teenager below him, waiting for him to make the next move. He followed the saiyans eyes and saw Gohan standing there, lightning crackling around him in his ascended super saiyan form, and a glare on his face that would make any normal being soil themselves in fear. He didn't even give it a second though, and shot off into the sky, following Vegeta as fast as he could.

It didn't take them long to make it to within visual range of the lookout. At the speed they were going, they doubted whether or not anyone on the ground could even see them. They could feel the battle behind them beginning to unfold, and realized to their horror that Broly had transformed into the legendary super saiyan shortly after their departure.

Vegeta landed and dropped the children to the ground before turning and blasting off back towards the battle, leaving Piccolo standing there looking after him with a scowl on his face.

"Piccolo! What's going on? Who is that down there?"

Dende came running from the building on the lookout before spotting the three still forms at Piccolos feet. He stopped short and his eyes snapped open wide as realization set in. His hands trembled as he looked down on Gohan's family, a rarely seen scowl etched across his face.

"Piccolo who did it?"

"His name is Broly, he's the super-saiyan of legend. We believed him to be dead since his fight with us all on new Vegeta. Somehow he was here on Earth recovering from the fight."

Dende furrowed his brow, trying to remember when such a being could have made it to his planet without his knowledge. Before he could dwell on it, Piccolo interrupted him.

"Dende, I have to go back and try to help. Take care of these three, Gohan is counting on you."

With that, he took off, his aura erupting around him as he returned to the battle. Dende watched him leave for a second before turning his attention to the teenage girl at his feet and began his work.

***A FEW MINUTES EARLIER, BACK AT THE BATTLEGROUND***

Gohan felt Vegetta and Piccolo rushing towards the lookout and snapped his attention fully on the Saiyan in front of him. He bared his teeth and crouched low with one hand forward in the stance that Piccolo had taught him so many years before.

Broly considered him a moment, his head cocked to the side as if he were trying to figure something out. His frown flipped upside and he smiled a sick, sadistic smile and glared at Gohan. He roared, throwing his arms out to the side and unleashing his restrained power. His muscles bulged to an obscene size and his hair grew out and down his back and began to glow with a radioactive green tint. His roar shook the planet and when he returned his gaze to Gohan, it was an empty, pupil-less glare.

Gohan shot into the air as fast as he could, catching the Broly off guard and throwing a hook across his face. The saiyans head snapped around sharply and then thrust forward as Gohan followed up with a knee to the stomach. The saiyan recovered enough to block the next punch and countered with a kick of his own. He and Gohan traded blows for a few seconds before Broly caught the demi's arm in a hold and swung him over his head and released him towards the ground. The saiyan formed another ki ball in his hand and chucked it at the falling form, laughing his head off. Gohan flipped once and swatted the ki ball aside, sending it careening into the mountain side where it erupted in a colossal flash of light and heat.

Gohan felt the blast snuff out the lives of countless creatures on the side of the mountain, but no longer cared. His thoughts were clouded by rage, and blood-lust was coursing through his veins, begging him for violence. He let out an enraged cry and threw a golden ball of ki at the legend before him, smirking in satisfaction when it detonated, creating a huge cloud of smoke around him.

_Time for you to go down._

He shot off around the side of the cloud, sensing Broly's ki in the center still. He dove into the cloud trying to get the upper hand on the older saiyan, and was halted abruptly when his face met with a wall of energy. He slid, almost comically off the side of the ball and fell a few feet before regaining control of himself and landing a short distance away. The smoke cleared to reveal Broly standing there in all his glory within a bubble shield of ki.

The crazed saiyan dropped the sheild and then shot towards Gohan at speeds that seemed impossible for someone of his size. He dropped his forward shoulder and drove it straight into Gohan's midsection, grabbing him around the middle at the same time and driving them both several feet into the ground and kicking up a mushroom cloud of dust. The dust began to settle to show Gohan struggling against the larger man, who was crouched with one knee on his chest and throwing punch after punch at the young demi, laughing maniacally the entire time.

Gohan struggled for all he was worth, dodging and blocking several of Broly's attacks and trying to push the enraged saiyan off of him. But each time that Broly connected he felt himself slipping. An audible pop could be heard as one of his ribs cracked from the strain that was being forced on it, and Gohan loosed a scream of rage and pain. He watched as Broly raised up both hands, clenched together, to deliver a final blow to his head.

"SPECIAL BEAM CANNON!"

The vortex of energy struck the super saiyan in the chest, exploding and knocking him back enough for Gohan to pull his legs to his chest and kick out with both feet, sending Broly flying up and out of the crater that they had created. He used the momentum of his kick to flip up onto his feet and immediately staggered forward to his knees, coughing blood and panting. He spat the salty blood out of his mouth and turned his glare back to the enraged super saiyan at the edge of the crater.

"FINAL FLASH!"

A second beam of energy flew from behind Gohan, hitting Broly and detonating in a blinding white explosion. Gohan glanced to his side and saw Piccolo and Vegeta darting towards the cloud of smoke concealing the super saiyan, their auras swirling around them as the pumped their powers up to maximum.

Before they reached the cloud, a loud cackling could be heard echoing off the mountain side. A pair of green ki blasts shot out of the cloud in the direction of the two Z fighters. Piccolo could not block It in time and too the blast to his chest, shooting back to the ground where it detonated and he disappeared in a puff of dust and smoke. Vegeta managed to dodge the blast, only to be met by its creators hand as Broly grabbed him by the face, his huge hand completely covering everything from the nose up. Vegeta struggled and kicked out at the super saiyan, landing one across his face.

Gohan stood slowly, trying to ignore the pain of his limbs and his chest. He held one arm against his side, trying to dull the ache of his broken rib, and tried to regain enough power to attack Broly again. His bloodlust was beginning to fade as exhaustion set in, and he seemed to be in a fog. He was reaching out with his mind, trying to find the energy he needed. He watched as Broly drove a knee into Vegeta's stomach, completely taking the wind out of him and being rewarded with a spurt of blood as the prince coughed. He tossed Vegeta to the side, reverting him back to his normal form as he landed in a heap next to an unconscious Piccolo. Gohan stared at the two Z fighters, his stomach clenching into knots.

'You weren't strong enough. You've broken your promise to your siblings Gohan. You've failed again.'

_Shut up! I won't fail again! I can't! I have to win!_

'It's too late for that, he's going to kill you. Then the planet will follow and there's nothing you can do.'

Gohan snapped his glare back to Broly, who was staring his pupil-less stare right back with a smirk on his face.

"Now Kakarott. YOU DIE!"

Gohan's mind blanked. His eyes shut in pain and a grimace formed on his lips. He gritted his teeth as the memories from years ago resurfaced. His rage returned in full force, but this time at himself. Then he felt it.

The pool of ki he felt was enormous, and he was shocked to find it right within himself, where he never expected to find it. It was right where he had left behind the memories of his father. All of the self-loathing and denial that he had been so determined to leave behind for his family's sake. He latched onto it, letting his emotions course through him as the power rushed through his veins.

"You _dare_ compare me to him? He was a far better man than I could ever be, and HE SURE AS HELL WOULD HAVE ALREADY KILLED YOU!"

His rage flared, knocking all other emotions to the side and he screamed into the sky. His fists clenched at his sides and his back arched as pain coursed through him. Power filled his muscles and he could feel himself changing. His scalp itched as his golden hair began to lengthen, stretching down the length of his back to his waist. His muscles began to swell with ki, and his face burned as his brow became more defined and his eyebrows disappeared. His eyes flashed white and then returned to their teal color, but now with dark green pupils.

His transformation completed, and his scream faded into nothingness. He took a moment to look at his hands, marveling in the power he felt as lightning bolts shot from him into the ground. It was incredible, dwarfing the amount he had felt when he fought Cell. He glared back up at Broly, who was looking at him with a puzzled glare, his head slightly tilted to the side. He smirked and held up his hand, forming a shield that once again collapsed into a ball of ki in it. His smirk shifted to a scowl as he reared his hand back and attempted to throw it.

Attempted to…

Gohan shot his hand forward, two fingers extended and shot a dart of ki into the blast before it had even left the saiyans hand, detonating it mid-throw and sending its creator shooting off to the side, trailing smoke. Gohan took advantage of his dazed state and jumped through the air to meet him, reveling in his newfound speed. Broly didn't recover enough to block in time, and took Gohan's uppercut right to the chin, shooting skywards with a resounding snap as his jaw broke. Gohan grounded himself and gathered his energy for one final blast. He raised his hands to his forehead, right hand in front and pushed his ki into an energy ball.

"MAAASENKOOOOO… HAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!"

Broly spun through the air, halting himself and glaring back down at his opponent as blood dripped from his mouth. He growled and spat towards the earth as Gohan's Masenko shot from his now outstretched hands towards the legendary super saiyan. Broly sneered and extended his hand towards the blast and forming another shield around himself. Once again the shield collapsed into his outstretched hand and formed a tiny ball of ki. He pumped more energy into it, and instantly, it expanded to the size of a beach ball.

Broly shot the blast forward, making it meet halfway with his opponents. He pushed even more energy into the blast, trying to force the Masenko back, but he could not. His smirk changed to a grimace, and he growled, shooting more blasts through the beam, increasing it in size and power. It was no use, he couldn't halt the beam of energy.

The distance between Broly's outstretched hand and the back of his own blast dwindled down until he was touching it directly. He shot his other hand forward to try and stop the blasts, throwing his ki forward in an attempt to send it in another direction. He groaned and felt fear grip his heart as his hands began to dissolve in the heat of the energy of the two blasts.

Gohan held onto his power with everything he had, pouring it out through his hands at a rate he had not known was possible. He felt himself getting worn down quickly, and with a final determined roar, shot his remaining energy through his hands towards the blast. The large pulse shot up the beam and impacted the back of his masenko, expanding it as it consumed Broly and shot off into the sky.

"KAKAROOOOOOTT!"

Broly's scream of pain was the last thing he heard before the sweet silence of unconsciousness washed over him and he reverted to his normal form, collapsing onto his back.

***THAT NIGHT ON THE LOOKOUT***

Lime stroked Ria's hair gently as the child slept on her lap. The little girl's hair had been cut short to even it out after being partially burned away. Goten was laid out on the ground next to where Lime was sitting in her chair at the edge of the room. They were all wearing clean robes, courtesy of Mr. Popo, and had recovered from their wounds. Ria had come out mostly unscathed, and Goten had recovered fully from the skull fracture. Even Lime had been healed fully from the physical damage she'd been dealt.

"_Why don't I have a scar Dende? I was afraid that I would have one like Gohan."_

_ "Lime, Gohan's injuries were far worse than your own when he received that scar, there was almost nothing left of his shoulder. On top of that, you're only human, so it takes a lot less energy for me to heal you. The energy required to heal a saiyan is enormous compared to yours, even if it's only a half saiyan."_

She smiled at the child in her arms as she let out a quiet snort and turned to snuggle closer to her. She had spent so much time with the three Son children that she never really saw them as anything _but_ human, regardless of what she knew. It amused her in a morbid sort of fascination that it took nearly dying to realize the fragile mortality of her species.

That had been hours ago, when Gohan was still on the planet fighting that monster. She could feel the vibrations of the battle in the air, and she swore she could hear the screams too. Then it all went quiet, and she had a sinking feeling in her stomach. She remembered the children sitting at the edge of the lookout, patiently waiting for their idol to reappear. When he did, they all felt a sense of dread.

Piccolo had arrived carrying the young demi-saiyan, and informed them that Broly had been defeated. He gently dropped Gohan so that he was laying on his back, and the three took in the damage done. He was still only in his pants and shoes from before, He was covered in bruises and blood was trickling slowly down the side of his face from the corner of his mouth. He still had the ring she had given him wrapped tightly around his hand by the leather cord. All three had let out a collective sigh of relief when they saw he was breathing deeply.

_"Don't worry guys, he'll be alright. He just spent a lot of energy fighting Broly. Let Dende heal his wounds, and let him sleep. He's earned it after what I saw him do."_

She had wondered at that statement for a while, but decided not to ask the large Namekian. Instead she opted to help get him cleaned up as Dende healed his wounds. The children had run off to play a game of tag, knowing that their brother was alright, while she sat by his bedside. She had been there quite a while, watching the gentle rise and fall of her friend's chest. Despite the assurances of the guardian, she wanted to make sure that he was alright.

She had dozed off into a light slumber, only to be awakened by the twins stumbling into the room and instantly going to where they currently sleeping. It was dark out now, and the two twins were exhausted from the day's events. Ria had opted for the comfortable warmth of her adopted sister's lap, while Goten had just collapsed on the floor and started snoring loudly, much to the amusement of Lime.

She watched the twins sleep for a while, and once again was hit with a pang of jealousy at how lucky Gohan was to have them. She stood, still cradling Ria in her arms and walking to the edge of the bed where Gohan was still unconscious, and gently lay the girl down next to him. She turned to where Goten was passed out, and moved him just as gently to Gohan's other side. Immediately, both children unconsciously grabbed onto their older brother, making Lime's eyes burn with tears at the adorable sight. She leaned over the bed, brushing aside a lock of Gohan's hair that had fallen down in front of his face. Ever so gently, she brought her face closer to his, staring intently at his peaceful expression.

"I don't know what you did back there Gohan, but I know that none of us would be alive if it weren't for you. I just wish you didn't have to shoulder the responsibility by yourself."

She closed the distance and lightly pressed her lips to his cheek. She thought for a moment to move the kiss to his lips, just to see what it felt like. But she knew that she would never be able to love him for anything more than a brother, and she never wanted that to change. He was her best friend, and that was perfectly fine with her.

She smiled and let the rest of her body move onto the wide bed, settling herself so that her head was resting on his scarred and well-muscled shoulder and Goten was nestled between the two teenagers. She smiled and played with the ring that was once again tied around Gohan's neck, drifting off into the dream land.

***CAPSULE CORPORATION***

"Vegeta, it's the middle of the night, are you going to come to bed?"

Vegeta paused his training in the gravity room to look up at the observation deck, where Bulma was standing with a worried expression on her face. He hadn't heard her enter as he was still lost in thought about what had happened out there. The brat had gone and done it _again_! The next level of super saiyan, something that the prince hadn't even considered after ascending himself.

_You mock me Kakarott. Even in death, you prove that I am no match for you in the form of your son. I'm stronger than I ever was before, I am supposed to be the most powerful saiyan in existence! And yet your son, a mere half-breed, continues to outshine me. He has truly become a super saiyan of legend._

He relaxed his scowl and stood straight, looking at his mate. He had not intended to worry the woman, but his anxiety would not allow sleep to come so easily.

"Vegeta what's wrong. What happened today? First you run off screaming something about Gohan, then you come back a mess, like you'd just been hit by a train! Explain it to me, what happened to you?"

Vegeta killed the gravity and walked out of the room without a backwards glance. He heard the door to the observation deck open and close as Bulma came running to catch him before he disappeared into the main building. She grabbed his arm, spinning him around with a surprising amount of force and grabbing him by the shoulders.

"Vegeta! What the hell is wrong with you?!"

The words hit him like a Kamehameha, and his temper snapped.

"Dammit woman! I'm not strong enough! That's what is wrong with me!"

Her jaw dropped as he yelled at her, and she backed away from him as his frustration vented.

"That damned brat is once again proving that the prince of all saiyans is nothing to him, just like his shithead father before him! And I am forced to the sidelines to watch as Kakarott takes the glory for the saiyan race without me yet again!"

Bulma frowned at him and poked him firmly in the chest.

"_That's _what this is about? Vegeta you're one of the most powerful beings in the universe, and you don't even seem to realize it, but I don't care if Gohan is stronger than you! He's not Goku, so don't hold it against him like this! He's lost a lot, including his father, and he's become who he is to protect us all, including you! We all know that he thinks he owes it to us!"

Vegeta furrowed his brow and crossed his arms. The woman was right, but he didn't want to admit it. The boy had grown into a warrior of increadible skill, worthy of the title of saiyan. Even though he would never say it out loud, he was proud of the young demi-saiyan. Bulma placed her hands on either side of his face, pulling his gaze directly to hers.

"Look Vegeta, I know that you feel like you have to be the best, but please, don't let it torture you like this. Let Gohan have his place as guardian. This world is his to protect now, and I'm yours. Me and Trunks, we are yours to protect you understand?"

He stared into her eyes for a brief moment, considering her words before nodding. She smiled and leaned in to kiss him, locking her lips with his and wrapping her arms around his neck. Vegeta's emotional barriers cracked and he unfolded his arms to wrap around her waist, returning the kiss. He pulled away and smirked down at his mate.

"I hate it when you do that. You're going to make me soft."

Bulma gave him a devious grin and leaned in close to him and whispered into his ear, sending a shiver down his spine.

"Well come back to our bed and I'll… _remedy_ that for you."

His eyes widened and surprise hit him as he registered what she was getting at. He looked down at her playful grin and smirked before following her back into the house.

**A/N: Heh, hope you guys didn't think I was going to kill the girls did you? Nope, had to have them still alive for later in the story =P... Little hint of V/B there at the end: This is how I imagine their day-to-day life goes, and how I imagine Vegeta actually thinks. Let me know what you think!**


	7. Plans for the future

**Alrighty guys here we go again! (Take two, had some mistakes when I posted it first) Thanks everyone for the feedback, keep it coming! R&R and enjoy! **

**Chapter 7: Plans for the future**

Gohan woke up surprised to find himself staring at the ceiling of his old room in the lookout. He stared at it in confusion before the memories came back to him.

_Broly! Oh kami Lime! Ria! Goten!_

He reached out with his senses and tried to sit up, but was stopped by a warm and gentle weight on his shoulder. He glanced over to see Lime lying next to him, sound asleep and wearing one of the robes that Mr. Popo kept at the lookout. Relief rushed through him as he saw her, then he blushed a bit, wondering what his mother would say if she had heard that he was sleeping in the same bed as a girl.

_Oh crap mom! Ohhh I'm in deep shit now… How am I going to explain this to her? How long have we been out? Where are the kids?_

"Hnnnngh."

He glanced over and almost laughed as Lime yawned widely and scratched her face like a cat. She cracked her eyes open and blearily looked at gohan before her eyes snapped open and she shot up into a sitting position and grabbed him up in a tight hug.

"Gohan! You're awake! Kami you had me worried there!"

Gohan laughed and released himself from her strangle hold. He looked her over, checking to see if there was any permanent damage.

"Don't be worried about me Lime, you were in bad shape when I had Vegeta send you here. Are you all right? Was Dende able to heal you?"

She smiled and turned to push aside the robe top so that he could see her back. It looked as if there had never been any damage there at all.

_Man Dende's gotten better at this._ _Broly did a number on her and she doesn't even have a scratch left on her!_

"Lime where are Goten and Ria? They were injured as well, are they okay?"

Lime pulled the robe top back around her neck and turned back to Gohan with a worried smile on her face.

"Gohan they're fine, though I don't know where they ran off to. I'm guessing they're trying to find Popo for some food... Gohan, what happened down there? Piccolo said that you had defeated that guy Broly? He said something about how what you had done was amazing, but he didn't say what it was."

Gohan furrowed his brow and averted his eyes, deep in thought.

_Damn what _did_ I do? Everything after I sent away Lime and the others is fuzzy._

He thought through the situation in his mind, slowly remembering the events of the fight. He had been fighting Broly, and he was losing. He was pinned and Broly was about to kill him.

_Piccolo and Vegeta! I need to remember to thank those two._

Then it got fuzzy again. He could remember flashes of light, rage and pain, and… Guilt? Yes that's what that was. But why?

_"Now Kakarott. YOU DIE!"_

_ "You dare compare me to him?"_

It all came back to him in a rush. The flood of emotions he felt during the fight, the unbelievable pool of energy that was locked away within him, the monster that had been unleashed from him at that moment. He gasped and probed his mind and body for the energy again, and was surprised to find it sticking out as if it had been in plain sight the whole time. He frowned and looked down at his hands, remembering the ferocity he had displayed. He had lost control of himself, and the Gohan he had unleashed didn't even pause once to consider his surroundings.

_What if the twins had been there? What if Lime had been there? I could have easily killed them all. I need to be careful with this._

Lime shook his shoulder gently, pulling him quickly from his thoughts. He looked at her worried expression and instantly felt guilty.

"Gohan what is it? What happened back there?

He frowned and tried to think of the best way to tell her without saying too much.

"I unleashed a monster, even more dangerous than Broly."

His answer didn't satisfy her, but before she could say anything else, the door slammed open and two little blurs slammed into Gohan's now awake form, tackling him back to the bed.

"Gohan you're awake! Did you really beat the poopy head?"

Lime giggled at the girl's analogy for the super saiyan and Gohan's confused expression. The two children bounced on his chest excitedly, staring in awe at their older brother. Gohan's face lit up when he realized who they were talking about and nodded. Goten jumped up and down on Gohans stomach babbling excitedly and repeatedly knocking the wind out of his brother while Ria just lunged forward and hugged her brother around the neck.

"I knew you would! You're the strongest person in the whole world!"

Gohan hugged his little sister back with one arm and grabbed Goten as he was falling back down to land on his stomach again and held him up with a serious expression on his face.

"I might be the strongest person in the world, but even I don't know what we're going to tell Mom."

The two children's eyes snapped open wide in shock of the realization they had just made, and their faces paled. They looked at each other nervously, obviously worried about the lecture they were going to get when they got home. Or worse, Mr. Pan. In the background, Lime burst out in a fit of giggles as she guessed what they were thinking.

***SATAN RESIDENCE***

Videl was up earlier than normal. Nobody was in the gym at her father's dojo.

_The same dojo that the city paid for because he lied to them._

Everywhere she looked, she saw how different things would be if it hadn't happened. Had the delivery boy taken the credit like he should have, the dojo might not have even still been here. Her father had been the champion of the last two world martial arts tournaments, so there was a possibility that the dojo would have remained. But the people she trained with, the huge mansion, even the equipment she used. She wondered how different it would have been.

She finished her laps around the gym before settling into a stance and beginning a kata that her father had taught her. She wasn't really paying attention to the moves, as they were natural to her now. She was lost in thought about what to do about this new situation.

She knew her father's secret, and it filled her with shame beyond what she could have ever imagined. She hadn't even been able to look at the man since he told her. She had carefully avoided being anywhere near him, including dinner later that night. Until she came up with a course of action, she didn't even want to think about him. But it crowded her mind. She shook her head and growled, stopping the kata mid-way and stormed over to a bag, wanting to vent her frustration. As she began hitting it with all of her strength, ideas began to form.

_Really there's only three options I see here. The first being the obvious one of telling the world the truth. But what were to happen if I did that? What would the people do? Would they even believe me? No, there's so much that could go wrong there. I could be waved off as crazy, or the world would eat us alive for lying. He may be a lying sack of shit but he's still my father. Fuck!_

She drove a roundhouse kick into the bag hard and felt her ankle pop and a jolt shot up her leg.

"Shit. Stupid!"

She tenderly tried to put her weight on it and nearly collapsed when she did. She hobbled over to the ring nearby and sat down on a fold out chair, inspecting the joint with her hands. She sighed when she realized it wasn't a serious injury, just a sprain, and pulled her shoe and sock off so that she could wrap it.

_The second option, is to sweep it under the rug like it never happened. But I don't think that I would ever be able to live with the shame like that. No, I'm sure I would go crazy._

She irritably pulled her hair out of it's braid that she had it tied into and combed her fingers through it. She slowed the motions as the third idea came to the forefront of her mind.

_Or I could do neither. I won't be able to tell people because of the backlash that it will bring, but maybe I can give back to the city?_

She nodded her head at the thought and limped over to the preparation table, grabbing a linen wrap and returning to her seat. She started wrapping her ankle when the door to the Dojo opened to reveal a very tired looking Mr. Satan. He was wearing his usual brown and white gi and looked like he hadn't slept at all. His eyebrows shot up as he saw his daughter wrapping her ankle and rushed towards her.

"Videl! Are you alright?"

She held up her hand as he got closer, motioning for him to be silent.

"It's just a sprain dad, I've got it."

She continued to wrap it, struggling a bit with the effort of not pushing on her foot the wrong way as she went. Her hands were interrupted when her father stepped in and gently took the wrap from her and pushed her back into the chair. She glared at him, but didn't argue. She crossed her arms and stared at him as he wrapped the joint firmly, and she felt the ache subside slowly.

_He can be such a good person when he wants to be. Shit, why did he have to lie? Now I have to make up for the mistakes of the past. I have to regain the honor that he lost for us._

He finished wrapping her foot and just sat there a moment, staring at the ground in front of him.

"Videl, I-"

"Dad, shut up. I already know what you're going to say, and before you say anything else, you're going to let me talk."

He looked at his daughter with a surprised expression that quickly changed to worry.

"You're not going to-"

"Dad I said shut up!"

She closed her eyes and took a deep breath, getting her frustration under control and attempting to calm her mind.

"I'm not going to tell anyone what you did. If I did, I would either crush the hopes of the entire city, or I would be laughed at as a lunatic."

She opened her eyes to watch his reaction. His expression changed from worry to confusion, and then settled on hopeful excitement. She held up a finger to stall him from speaking.

"But; I will not simply continue on like I didn't know. You lied to the people of the city, and we have been prosperous because of it. I'm going to give back to the city, and you're not going to get in my way to do it, understand?"

His eyebrows shot together in concentration but he nodded regardless. Satisfied, she stood, gingerly testing her ankle as she put weight on it. Glad that the pain had subsided to the point that she could walk, or rather limp, on her own two feet, she began to make her way for the door, leaving her father where he was kneeling. She opened the door to step out and paused to look back at him.

"Videl, what exactly are you planning on doing?"

She smirked at him as he gazed at the floor with a distracted frown.

"Well, I figure since you 'saved the world' from a baddie, I might as well carry on the family business. I'm going to go have a chat with our good friend, the chief of police."

He paled and looked at her with a shocked expression, but she had already gone. Closing the door behind her to leave her father wondering what he was supposed to do now.

***ONE MONTH LATER: SATAN CITY***

Videl hovered her brand new jet-copter above the streets of downtown Satan city. She was animatedly talking to the chief of police through her wrist-communicator that she had been given just last week. The police department had been all too excited to welcome her into the force, and she was quickly proving her worth to them, though they still treated her like a little girl sometimes. Now was not an exception.

"Videl you cannot be serious here! The guys we're talking about here are big time criminals, and they have enough weapons to take on a whole squad of police! How do you propose you would be able to take all four of them on?"

Videl growled and gave her best glare to the man through the camera attached to the device, and was pleased to see him blanch a bit at the look.

_Remember that face Videl, it might come in handy later._

"Look chief stop treating me like a little girl! You know as well as I do that I can take care of myself, and besides, your men down there aren't making any ground! I can help!"

He started to argue, but she cut off the connection with a soft beep and grabbed the stick of her transport. She thrust it forward, sending it into a dive towards the building in the distance where she could see the police cars formed up in front. She could see muzzle flash of the police weapons and hear the rhythmic crack of fully automatic weapons fire. She decided that the best option would be to land on the roof of the building and go from there.

_An apartment building? Hmm figures, they were probably after someone here._

She carefully landed the jet copter and capsulized it, pushing it into her pocket. She pulled on the wrists of her gloves and made sure they were fastened tight before walking towards the edge of the building to look down. The Police were hiding behind their cars in an attempt to avoid the hail of bullets streaming from the building. She identified four different weapons firing from the windows, all coming from different rooms.

_Idiots. Each of them is on their own in there. I just need to go in and pick them off one by one and this will be over._

She ran for the roof-access door and pulled it open gently, peering inside to make sure it was clear. Satisfied that it was, she began to run down the stairs, making as little noise as possible and following the sounds of the gunfire. She paused on the sixth floor, hearing the gunshots coming from down the hall where there was an open room. She rushed forward as quietly as she could, stopping to peer into the room. The criminal was leaning out the window, firing his weapon without sighting it, a smirk on his face and a cigar sticking out of his mouth.

She rounded the corner and grabbed the man by the back of his suit jacket and threw him roughly towards the ground, sweeping his leg out from under him. As he fell he dropped his rifle and reached out his hands to break his fall. His wrist snapped with the pressure and he let out a howl of pain. Videl quickly lunged over to him and drove her fist into his face, knocking him unconscious before pulling the man's belt from him to tie his arms together and to bedpost. Making sure he was secure, she unloaded his rifle and disassembled it in a quick and efficient fashion.

Pleased with her work, she turned and made her way to the rest of the gang members, running into very few people as she went. She dealt with two more criminals, one on the fifth floor and one on the third, in a similar fashion to the first. She was surprised at how well each of them were armed, and began to wonder if maybe she was getting in a bit too deep here.

She ran down the remaining flight of stairs and noticed that the gunfire had stopped. She opened the door slowly and poked her head out. She halted when she felt the cold steel of a handgun pressed against her temple.

"Alright girly, no more funny shit. Come on out of there nice and slow, and no one will get hurt."

She cursed herself in her mind and did as he said. She turned to face him, a scowl held firm on her face. He sneered at her and kept the gun pointed at her head. She noticed that he was wearing a vest with grenades attached to it, and he held a cable attached to the pins in his other hand, ready to set off the grenades at a moment's notice.

_Crazy son of a bitch!_

"Ahhh I see you caught on. Damned police boys didn't, forced me to kill a hostage you see. Poor guy couldn't have been more than sixteen years old."

Ice gripped her heart as she glanced over to the front of the building to see a puddle of blood and brain matter, around a familiar figure.

_Ryan!_

"He seemed to think he could take us all on, was boasting something about being one of the 'champs' students or some bull shit like that. In the end, he bleeds like the rest of us."

Hatred boiled inside her. She had not personally been a friend of the Ryan, but the way this guy spoke about him made her want to rip his throat out. She gritted her teeth and glared at the man. His face was mocking her, sneering at her from behind the gun.

"Looky here girly, I know someone took care of my boys upstairs already, and I'm guessing that was you. Well that's too bad now isn't it? Looks like I'll have to just smear you all over the wall too, huh?"

He grinned at her evilly and pulled back the hammer of the pistol with his thumb.

_Shit, should have known it was a single action. Fuck fuck fuck what do I do?_

"Freeze!"

A police officer stepped into the hallway where they were standing and leveled his shotgun at the criminal, trying to get a clear shot around Videl. The man snarled and turned his weapon towards the new threat and Videl saw his hand tighten on the weapon to fire. She reacted as quickly as she could, kicking high and knocking his aim off as he fired, and shot her arm in with a hammer-fist strike to his throat. She felt his trachea collapse under her blow, and he staggered towards the door she had just come from, accidentally pulling the chord attached to the grenades. Videl's eyes widened as she watched in slow motion while the pins were released and the spoon on each grenade shot up, arming them.

"Shit! GET BACK!"

Acting quickly, she push kicked the man into the stairwell and dove behind the wall just as the grenades detonated, throwing dust and smoke out through the door and shaking the entire building. She lay there in a daze, her head ringing from the shockwave of the explosion, and she felt like she had just been kicked in the chest by a horse. As the smoke cleared, a police officer ran to her side, covered in dust and bleeding a bit from his forehead where a piece of debris had hit him. He shook her gently and called her name repeatedly.

As her vision cleared, she realized that the cop she had saved moments ago was trying to talk to her. She shook her head to clear the ringing and looked around and inspected herself. She was covered in a fine layer of dust, and she felt like she had just been thrown off of a cliff due to the rate her heart was pumping, but otherwise she seemed to be unharmed. The building was in much worse condition. Part of the wall she had dove behind was crumbling, revealing a metal skeletal structure that was holding it up and the walls in the stairwell were spattered with pockmarks and blood, along with other things that she could only guess the names of. The floor was decorated with a large scorch mark and a large pile of gore that looked horribly like a person's lower body.

She gagged as she took in the scene and rushed out the front of the apartment to be sick. She retched a few times and wiped her mouth with the back of her hand before turning to the medic who was trying to fuss over her, telling her how a girl her age should be out with friends, not witnessing the horrors that mankind can create by fighting eachother.

_Erasa said very much the same thing. I don't care, I'll do whatever it takes. I must give back. Even if this is the only way I know how. _

She allowed the woman to clean her up. Satisfied that the girl was not injured enough to need to go to the hospital, she released her and went to help clean up the mess within the apartment. Videl strode into the street and decapsulized her jet-copter to leave before any of the media showed up. Just as she lifted off, her watch beeped, and she answered it to see the worried face of the police chief on the screen.

"Videl I heard what happened, are you alright?"

Videl nodded and smirked at the man on the screen.

"I told you chief, I can take care of myself."

***SON RESIDENCE, GOHAN'S 18****TH**** BIRTHDAY***

Chi chi hummed to herself as she washed the dishes from their dinner and listened to the twins in the next room over playing with Trunks. No doubt they were plotting some evil prank on their favorite victim: Gohan. She always found it amusing that the three of them picked the most powerful being in the universe, and he was truly powerless against them. The twins had turned seven just a couple months before and they were growing at an alarming rate. Ria was still shorter than Goten, but she had gained an intellectual advantage over her twin. She had opted to keep her hair relatively short since the Broly incident, only allowing it to grow out to the bottom of her jaw, and it stuck out in every direction just like Gohan's when he was younger. It gave her a wild appearance that clashed with the formal kimonos that Chi chi always had her wear.

Goten on the other hand was the spitting image of his father when he had been younger. He constantly wore an orange gi with a long sleeve navy blue undershirt, and always had a smile plastered on his face. It was extremely difficult to be mad at the boy for any given amount of time, and he was extremely powerful for his age, no doubt due to all of his sparring time with his best friend. The lavender haired boy as a year and a half older than the twins, but was still only as tall as Goten. He had picked up his father's temper and his mother's sense of practical humor, a dangerous combination to say the least.

Most of the guests had already returned to their homes, and it was dark outside. Bulma and Vegeta had left Trunk at her home, as much for the children's benefit as it was for theirs. Gohan had decided to give Lime a lift back home to her villiage, and he hadn't returned yet. Chi Chi watched the two of them constantly, hoping that one of them would make a move. She was a relatively patient woman, but she wanted Gohan to hurry up and find himself a woman. She wanted grandchildren! But the two of them didn't seem to want to take their relationship further.

For the life of her, she couldn't understand why they wouldn't want to. The two of them had been so close to each other since the Cell games, to the point that she was sure Lime knew more about her son than she did. Add on top of that that the both of them had matured into very attractive young adults and it seemed impossible to her that they wouldn't go further.

Gohan had exploded upwards in height, now standing well over six feet tall like his father. He constantly wore his Navy blue gi with the long sleeve red undershirt. His shoulders had broadened and his chest had filled out fully. When he worked outside in his gi pants, one would swear that he was a god incarnate. His muscles were perfectly chiseled and the scars from his battles showed that he was a fierce fighter. His hair was as short and spiky as it was during his fight with Broly, but now a single lock of his midnight black hair hung over his eyes. The young man looked serious almost constantly, and was made more intimidating by the scar that decorated his impossibly handsome face. But anyone that could break past the harsh exterior found quickly that he was a genuinely nice person with a heart made of gold.

Lime had filled out in the last couple of years as well, though in a different manner. She hadn't grown all too tall, only standing about as tall as Chi Chi, which put her at about collar-bone height on Gohan. But she had blossomed into a drop-dead gorgeous young woman. Her auburn hair was naturally wavy now, and she let it hang free down to her shoulder blades, framing her fair skinned face and bright emerald eyes, and she had an impeccable fashion sense. Everything she wore seemed to hug her curvy figure in all the right places, while never revealing anything too much.

The two of them would have made an excellent couple in Chi Chi's mind, but they would have none of it. All the displays of affection they shared were the same as if Lime had been born Gohan's sister, and he was fiercely protective of her. Even the times that Chi Chi had attempted to get them together by having Lime sleep over, she was disappointed that nothing had happened.

She sighed and continued washing the dishes, wondering what to do about her son's social life when it occurred to her that Gohan had only ever made friends with a single person his age. She thought about the situation until a new thought had occurred to her.

_School! Oh why didn't I think of it before?! Gohan is still young enough to attend high school! I know he decided that he would prioritize fighting over his studies, but he needs to have friends his age!_

Her thoughts were interrupted by a whooshing noise that announced Gohan's arrival. She dried off her hands on her apron and began walking to the main room as Gohan came in the front door. Three giggling children sprung from nowhere and latched onto the older demi-saiyan, catching him unawares and sending him crashing to the floor. Goten and Trunks had grabbed his legs and were trying their best to pin him to the ground while Ria sat on his back with her arms crossed and a triumphant grin on her face.

"Gotcha Gohan!"

Gohan pushed himself up and spun over rapidly, sending the three children flying to different parts of the room where they lay about in a dazed state. He chuckled and sped around the room at super-speed, grabbing each one and somehow switching all of their clothes around so that Goten and Trunks were wearing Ria's Kimono top and skirt, respectively, and Ria was wearing a combination of their orange and green gi's. He studied his handi-work, a smirk on his face while Chi Chi giggled into her hand. The three children looked around confused at the Son matron's laughter, looking for the source of her amusement when they spotted what the others were wearing.

Trunks spotted Goten wearing the kimono top and started snickering and pointing at his best friend, who was starting to turn red with embarrassment and frustration.

"Shush Trunks! At least I don't wear skirts!"

Trunks' laughter died instantly as his eyes widened and he looked down. His cheeks flushed a brilliant red and he tried to hide the skirt from view, doing a very Marilyn Monroe-esque pose. Ria looked down at what she was wearing and shrugged, grinning like it wasn't a big deal. The two boys looked at her puzzled for a second before trying to grab her and get their clothes. Ria darted down the hall and up the stairs trying to get away from the two embarrassed demis who gave chase.

Gohan smirked and plopped down on the couch, proud of the fact that he had once again out-pranked the demon trio. Chi chi got her giggling under control and walked over to sit next to her elder son. The young man glanced at her nervously for a moment before relaxing and leaning back into the couch, looking at her expectantly.

_Oh too funny! He's the strongest known fighter in the universe and he is still scared by his mother!_

"Sweety, I was hoping to talk to you about something."

She paused to make sure he was listening to her, and like always, his eyes had locked onto hers as soon as she started speaking. She noted that even after all these years, they still held a haunted and cold look. Even for all of his outward appearances, she knew that he was still hurting. She pushed the thought aside, taking a deep breath and hoping for the best.

"I know this is going to sound strange Gohan, but I wanted to talk to you about attending High School for this year."

Gohan's expression changed rapidly from a neutral, attentive one to one of confusion. He broke his gaze away from her to stare at something on the coffee table, and you could see the thoughts racing through his mind as he processed the information. He looked back at her with an eyebrow raised.

"Why? What could I learn from going to high school now? You know as well as I do that my education is way beyond that of a high scholar."

"Gohan this isn't about you learning anything academic. I want you to go to try and make some friends. To this day, the only friend you've made that is your age has been Lime. Just think, almost every person that showed up for your birthday today was either old enough to be your father or grandfather, and then the four children."

Gohan looked at her incredulously, and stood up to pace the room in front of the coffee table, his hand rubbing the back of his neck nervously, lost in his thoughts as he considered her words.

_Kami he looks so much like Goku when he does that._

"Mom do you realize what will have to happen if I were to go through with this? I will have to try to fit in, or someone is going to take notice and before you know it we'll have the media all over our doorstep. On top of that, where would I go to high school?"

The Son matron sighed in relief that he was at-least thinking about it.

"I was thinking the Ox kingdom. It's the closest to us here besides Satan City, and I'm sure that your grandfather would be willing to put you in an acceptable class-"

"And have the whole community groveling at my feet because I'm one of the Ox Princes? No I don't think so mom, that's the kind of attention I want to avoid."

She was caught off guard by his tone, and was about to retort when she caught his glare. Realizing that it was hopeless to press that matter, she sighed and clasped her hands together in her lap.

"Well then the best option would be to go to Orange Star High in Satan City. Nobody there will know who you are, but there will be a lot more people."

She looked back up at him hopefully to see him looking up at the ceiling and dragging his hands down his face as he struggled with his thoughts. He dropped his gaze to his mother, and she gave him the best teary-eyed puppy face she could muster.

_Dammit I hate it when she uses that look on me! It's even worse than when she just yells at me!_

He sighed in defeat, looking at the ground and placing his hands no his hips. He set his face back into its neutral state and looked back at his mother.

"Alright, how do you propose I go about doing this?"

Chi Chi wanted to jump up and squeal out in delight, but settled for smiling at her eldest son and motioning for him to sit back down, which he reluctantly did. They talked for about an hour, discussing the details of what he would try to accomplish in high school. Finally they came to an agreement that they were both satisfied by, and Gohan headed up to his room, leaving Chi chi elated. She went back to her kitchen to finish washing the dishes, humming to herself and day-dreaming about grandchildren.

**A/N: Sorry for all you folks that wanted to see Chi chi's reaction to the Broly fight, but we all know how that would go:*pan swishes through air* BANG! "Where the hell have you been insert chi chi rant here" etc... And on the note of how Gohan is going to go about being in high school, that is a secret for me to reveal at a later date! MUAHAHAHAHA I hope you enjoyed it. Stay tuned for next time!**


	8. First Impressions

**Hey guys, back again! This might be my last update for a couple days because i'm going to be working some long hours for the next three weeks. I'll try to get some new chapters up as soon as possible. Thanks to all of the people who reviewed for me! I realize I've made some spelling errors and whatnot, but I'll correct them as I go! Now, on to the story! R&R and enjoy!**

**Chapter 8: First Impressions**

***THREE WEEKS LATER – SATAN MANSION***

_Beep. Beep. Beep. Be-smack!_

Videl opened her eyes slowly and glared at her clock.

_Five in the morning. Why the hell did I decide it was a good idea for me to get up at five in the fucking morning? Ugh I shouldn't have gone after that goon that stole the smart car last night… That was pointless and I could've slept. Who the hell steals a smart car anyways?_

She groaned and kicked her covers off and rolled out of bed, stretching and stumbling into her private bathroom for a shower. She cranked the up the heat of the water and stripped herself of her baggy white t-shirt that she had fallen asleep in, revealing a highly toned, yet still curvy body. The last two years of crime fighting had done well for her physically, but she couldn't halt the affects her hormones had on her, which included filling out in her hips and breasts. Granted she was nowhere near as voluptuous as Erasa, but she still hated it. On more than one occasion she had been oogled by the men she was trying to beat the snot out of, which led to her decision a couple years ago to start wearing baggy clothes to hide her blooming figure. Besides that, her fathers "rule" was still in place, and she didn't want the attention that a bunch of boys fighting over her would bring.

She stepped into the shower and let the hot water run over her body. She washed her hair out and lathered herself with soap, lingering on the scars she had received fighting crime in the city. She poked one of the more recent ones, a knife wound a few months back where a crazed man stabbed her in the thigh. She winced as she once again felt the cold steel pierce her skin, then shook the thought from her head. She let the water flow over her, washing the tiredness from her completely.

She cut the flow of the water and returned to her bedroom, drying herself off as she went. She strained out her long raven hair and started getting dressed. She pulled on a pair of biking shorts that went down to just above her knees and another baggy white t-shirt. She pulled on a pair of ankle socks and green capsule corporation boots and pulled her still slightly damp hair into a pair of pigtails. She had stopped worrying about putting her hair into its normal braid when she started her senior year earlier this month.

She pinned her school badge onto her shirt and grabbed the capsule containing her jet-copter and decided she would get some breakfast this morning. She passed a theater room as she walked through the hallways towards the kitchen, and looked inside to see video footage of the twenty-fifth world martial arts tournament playing on repeat. The current scene was the one where he had knocked Spopovich out of the ring after only a few seconds of fighting. She averted her gaze from the screen and looked at her father where he sat on the couch passed out, with a bottle of only Kami knows what in hand.

She snorted and walked away from the scene, her head held high and her expression set into a grim smirk of satisfaction.

_He deserves all of this guilt. Stubborn jack-ass is trying to re-live his glory days when he was really was the best, not a lying cheat._

She passed a butler on the way, who bowed slightly to her with a "good morning madam". She pointed her thumb over her shoulder towards the theater and rolled her eyes, giving the butler an unspoken message.

"Understood madam, I shall take care of him."

"Thanks George. I'm going to grab some food, then I'm off to do my rounds. Let him know if he even asks."

George nodded before turning sharply on his heel and marching to the theater to clean up the mess. Videl walked the rest of her way to the kitchen, grabbing a few pieces of bacon and some toast and making a sandwich with them before walking out the side door that led to her pool patio. She pulled out her capsule and tossed it over to a grass clearing, revealing her yellow jet-copter. She climbed in and took off, munching on her sandwich as she went.

She had been in the air for a good hour before she heard anything, and she instantly opened the connection on her watch to see the dispatcher on the screen.

"What's up sis?"

The blonde on the screen nodded in silent acknowledgement, her face a serious mask.

"Videl, we've got a report of one of the local gangs trying to take the east bank of the city. Two units have already been dispatched, but they appear to be struggling. The perps have sub-machine guns and one confirmed medium machine gun mounted on a technical. Reported twelve hostages and five perps."

"Roger. I'm on my way, tell them to hang in there."

The blonde nodded again and cut the transmission as Videl pulled her jet-copter around towards the east of the city and set off to get her usual dose of tension relief.

_You know sometimes I really do love the fact that the police here are incompetent. So many faces for me to smash._

***SOMETIME EARLIER AT THE SON RESIDENCE***

"Mom is this really necessary?"

Chi chi gave her eldest son a glare and helped him straighten out his tie. She had him dressed in a white collared shirt and tie and black slacks with dress shoes. She let out an exasperated sigh and planted her fists on her hips.

"Alright there mister, it's your first day of school and you need to make a good impression! How else are you going to do that if you don't dress sharp?"

Gohan facepalmed with a smirk, and was rewarded with a sharp pain in the back of his head as Chi chi materialized her pan seemingly out of nowhere and hit him with it. He winced and rubbed the back of his head to reduce the pain.

_I'll never figure out how she does that. It could come in handy to have something like that later._

"Mom, kids these days don't wear collared shirts and ties to school. You convinced me to go to school to make friends, and I need to try and fit in, not stick out. Trust me on this one, I've seen enough on my outings into town with Lime."

She crossed her arms and cocked an eyebrow at him, but didn't say anything. She turned on her heel and walked back downstairs to continue working on breakfast. Gohan sighed and began to undress. He paused a moment to watch Goten and Ria playing around outside. He smiled softly as he watched, wondering what they would do without him for a whole day. Shaking his head and chuckling, he turned to his closet and went to work.

Chi chi finished up her last batch of pancakes, stacking them neatly on top of the already huge pile in the middle of the table, along with a bowl full of scrambled eggs, a bowl of rice, and a huge vat of syrup. She smiled at her handiwork. The boys all had their pride in their ability to fight, but she knew she could tame them all with just her cooking.

"Kids! Dinner is ready!"

The words hadn't even fully left her mouth before Goten and Ria were already at the table, bouncing excitedly in their chairs. Chi chi cleared her throat as the two reached for the pancakes, freezing them in their tracks. She lifted a single eyebrow at them, daring them to continue. They both gulped and pulled their hands back to their laps and muttering apologies to the table. She smiled at them and turned to her eldest son as she heard him enter the room.

She almost had to do a double take as she took his appearance in. She had thought he looked good in a shirt and tie, but now he looked – well for lack of a better term – sexy! He had put on a clean pair of denim jeans and a pair of sneakers, and he had donned a black button-up shirt that he had left untucked with the sleeves partially rolled up. The top of the shirt was undone down to the second button, partially showing the white t-shirt he wore underneath it, and the leather chord tied to his ever-present ring could just barely be seen poking out of the shirt around his neckline. Over all, the getup hid almost all of his extremely well-defined muscles, but still showed off his broad shoulders and trim figure. His hair stood up on end in his usual careless style, and a smirk was present on his face as he watched his family's reaction.

"Whoa Gohan you look so cool! Mommy can I dress up like that too?"

Goten looked up at his mother as Ria giggled at her, and his face contorted to a confused pout.

"Ummm… mommy?"

_GRANDBABIES!_

The Son Matron shook her head and grinned at her eldest son as he sat at the table.

"Gohan, remind me not to disagree with you when it comes to dressing for an occasion again?"

Gohan flashed her a son grin and scratched the back of his head nervously.

"So… uh can we eat now mom?"

Chi chi rolled her eyes and waved absently at the pile of food in front of the three demi's signaling for the feast to begin.

Within minutes, all of the food on the table was cleared into the stomachs of the three children, leaving a small pile of dishes for Chi chi to clean up. Gohan checked the time on his watch before getting up and collecting his black messenger bag which contained his lunch capsule and basic school supplies, and headed for the door. The two children trailed him with sad expressions.

"Bye mom, I'm off to school. I'll let you know how it goes when I get back alright?"

"Bring home a girl sweety!"

Gohan rolled his eyes and shook his head before stepping out into the day and turning to his younger siblings. They stood there looking at him with those horribly adorable puppy-dog eyes that turned him into a hopeless mess of melted resolve.

"Awww don't look at me like that squirts, it's just for a few hours each day! You be good for your mother okay?"

The two children sniffled a bit and jumped forward, attaching themselves to him in a pair of bone crushing hugs on each of his legs. He ruffled their hair affectionately before gently prying them off of him and jumping into the sky. With the Son home behind him, he turned in the direction of Satan City and shot off into the distance, far faster than anyone could track him.

***TWENTY MINUTES LATER***

Gohan walked down the streets of Satan City. He had passed a billboard on the side of the road earlier with a huge picture of Hercule pasted across the front of it, stating "home to the savior of the world". He'd scowled at that. Today was going to be a long day if there were constant reminders of the "world savior" and the Cell games. It was a subject that he was keen to steer clear of, lest he let his emotions take over again and he do something stupid.

He took in the city as he walked, wondering why people would want to live in such a place, where living spaces were stacked quite literally on top of each other with no room for movement. He glanced at his watch and sighed. It had taken a lot less time to reach the city than he had imagined. The training he had been doing the last seven years had really paid off. His thoughts were interrupted when a loud clang could be heard as something impacted the stop sign directly over his head.

His ears rang for a second and he glared at the offending object. He noticed that there was a hole punched through the thin metal, and looked in the opposite direction. About a half mile up the road, he could see a couple police cars parked outside the front of what appeared to be a bank or some other government building. He heard the faint chatter of gunfire and sighed.

"Why is it that whenever I go around normal people, something stupid happens and I have to step in?"

He pulled his bag from around his shoulder and quickly peeled off his black shirt, tucking it inside the messenger bag. He looked around and extended his senses to feel any nearby ki and, feeling none, transformed effortlessly into super saiyan.

_If I must make an appearance, might as well go as something I won't be recognized as._

He darted off towards the scene, closing the distance in a matter of seconds. Deciding to wait a little longer before making his presence in the city known, he leapt into the air, hovering over the fight a moment to determine if he was really needed. He noticed that the police were outgunned by the robbers, and decided he'd had enough when he saw one of the cops go down with blood spurting from a hole in his arm.

He dropped to the ground in front of the vehicle, and waved slowly at the driver, who looked at him in shock before pulling a handgun out from somewhere in the car and leaning out the window. Gohan smirked and threw his fist forward and down, straight through the hood of the car and into the engine compartment. The driver's eyes went wide and he fumbled with the gun in his hand, trying to point it at the teenager. Gohan continued to smirk as one by one, the criminals turned their heads to look at him in disbelief. He pulled his hand out of the hood, and removed the engine with it.

The criminals blanched and dropped their jaws in disbelief. Finally the man on the back of the technical swiveled the machine gun mounted on the back to point at the young demi-saiyan and opened fire. Gohan merely flicked the engine at the man, sending it crashing into him and another man before rolling away down the street fifty feet, trailing the broken bodies of the now unconscious men. The three remaining criminals all pointed their guns at the demi-saiyan who rolled his eyes and scowled.

"Why is it that you people never take a hint? I just threw an engine block at you!"

Not heeding his remark, the three opened fire and unloaded their weapons at the young saiyan, who seemingly just stood there. When the gunfire stopped, the blonde haired man just stood there a moment, one fist held forward. He opened his hand and let all the bullets he had caught fall from his grasp with a loud tinkling sound.

"My turn."

Faster than any of them could track, he darted between the first two, gently tapping them with the back of his hand on the back of the head, knocking them out cold. The driver of the vehicle stared wide-eyed at the spot where the kid had been standing a moment before, and started when he heard the clatter of weapons hitting the concrete along with his other two comrades. He spun his head every which way, trying to spot the man who had brought down his team.

"Boo."

The man jumped and then slumped forward over the steering wheel, unconscious from the blow Gohan had delivered through the open window. Before any of the people surrounding the bank could fully understand what had just happened, he sped off at super speed back in the direction he came from and collected his bag. He donned his black shirt again and slung his bag over his shoulder and resumed his walk to school.

_Idiots._

***AT THE BANK***

Videl landed her 'copter and dismounted. Not even bothering to capsulize it, she stormed over to the officer who was coordinating the cleanup and treatment of the one wounded officer.

"Hey! What the hell happened here? I got a call from dispatch saying that you guys needed some help, so why are all these goons already out cold and cuffed? And how did _that_ happen?"

She pointed over to the engine block laying in the middle of the road, fifty feet away from the truck it belonged to. The officer scratched his head in confusion and placed his other hand on his hip.

"To be completely honest with you I have no idea Videl. One minute we're taking fire from these five, and then just after sergeant Shaffer got hit this weird guy shows up out of nowhere and takes them all on! He literally pulled the engine out of that truck with one hand and hit two of the bastards with it by throwing it at them! I've never seen anything like it before! He moved so fast that we didn't even see him take out the other three, all we know is that none of them are going to recover any time soon."

She stared at him in disbelief. Nobody was capable of the things that were being described here. Well, except for, supposedly the fighters from the Cell games. But those were all tricks, or so she believed. It wouldn't surprise her if her father knew the truth about that too and had lied to her, but she figured that he'd have told her about that at the same time as his first revelation.

"Alright fine, well… what did this guy look like?"

"Well he was a young man, probably in his early twenties judging by his build. He was wearing a pair of jeans and a white t-shirt and he had Blonde hair that stuck right up in the air. I swear to Kami he was glowing gold too, but I may have just bee hallucinating. I didn't get a good look at his face though so I couldn't give you a description of that. Some of the boys are already calling him the Gold Fighter."

She nodded and started making mental notes of the guy. It wasn't much to go off of, but she had a rough image of him in her head, and her thoughts were immediately dragged off to the limited amount of footage of the Cell games that she had seen.

_Gold fighter huh? I wonder…_

She surprised herself when she realized that she wasn't even really mad at the Gold fighter for taking her job. The possibility that he was one of the mysterious fighters from the Cell games intrigued her. Secretly, she wanted him to show up again, if nothing else, just to ask him if it was true.

Her thoughts were interrupted by her watch alarm telling her she needed to get to school. She turned on her heel and ran to her 'copter, waving over her shoulder at the cop before mounting and taking off. She would have to deal with the Gold fighter later.

***HALF AN HOUR LATER – ORANGE STAR HIGH***

Videl sat at her desk with her head resting in her hand and a bored expression on her face. Her right hand was absentmindedly drawing a sketch of the Gold fighter, much to the amusement of her best friend.

"Oooh Videl! You probably saw the Gold fighter in person didn't you! Come on tell me, is he as cute as everyone has been saying?"

Videl glanced over at Erasa, who was bubbling over with excitement as usual, and practically quaking in her seat. Videl just rolled her eyes and sat back in her chair with her arms crossed and propped her feet up on the desk.

"No Erasa, I didn't actually see him. He left the scene before I got there, and nobody _actually _saw his face, so I don't think that the cute factor has been accounted for. Besides I don't care what he looks like, I want to know who he is and why he's coming into my city and taking my job."

Erasa sighed and placed her head on her hands, drifting off into a day-dream of her and the Gold fighter. On Videl's other side, a chuckle rumbled out from the arrogant jock that was Sharpener. She glared over at him to see he was also leaning back with his legs stretched out under his desk and his arms behind his head, showing of his bulging muscles. His long blonde hair fell around his shoulders and he was wearing a sneer and staring up at the ceiling.

"Come on babe, you know that this is a blessing in disguise right? If the guy takes your job, then that means you'll finally get enough time to go out with me remember? Besides, I bet I could take him."

She snorted and rolled her eyes.

_Typical Sharpener. Thinking with his dick._

She started glancing around the room, absent-mindedly taking notes on everyone in there. Sharpener noticed her steady glare and cocked an eyebrow at her.

"You don't think he's someone in our school do you? Come on Videl nobody here is cool enough to be the gold fighter except me."

She turned to him and gave him her best glare, causing him to sit upright and hold up his hands defensively.

"N-Not that I'm admitting it or anything! C'mon don't look at me like that, you know I was at the dojo this morning, just like every morning. I _can't _be the Gold fighter!"

She smirked and sat forward in her desk again picking up her pencil and scratching out the sketch she had made.

"I know you're not Sharpener, you can't throw an engine block fifty feet through the air."

She sneered at him as he huffed and crossed his arms, sitting back in the chair with an indignant expression on his face. Before he could give her a counter argument, the classroom door opened and their first instructor came in. He was a greyed old man wearing his usual vest and tie getup and a grouchy expression below his balding crown. He walked to his desk and put his things down before turning to the class.

"Good morning class, today we have the honor of welcoming a new student to join us. He received full marks on all of his entrance exams, and I think all of you could learn something valuable from him. Come on in my boy."

The class rumbled with murmurs as people began discussing what they think the new kid would look like. Some words such as "nerd", "geek", and "dweeb" were heard before the door opened again and the whole class fell completely silent. Videl glanced up from her paper at the sudden quiet and almost dropped her pencil in surprise.

_Holy shit _that _is the new class nerd? There's no way! He's… Well shit he's hot!_

She shook her head and glanced at her best friend, who was staring at the new boy with hearts in her eyes. She groaned inwardly.

_Great… Here we go again._

"Well go ahead and introduce yourself."

Videl returned her gaze to the new kid as he turned to face the rest of the class, and she got her first good look at him. He was dressed like he didn't have a care in the world, the casual rolling of his sleeves and the partially unbuttoned shirt fit perfectly with the comfortable looking jeans and spiky hair on his head. She was a bit startled when she noticed that he had a scar running from his forehead to his left cheek and those eyes… They were midnight black, just like his hair, and they looked cold and hard. To her, he looked a lot less like a nerd, and a whole lot more like a war veteran.

He looked around at the class for a second, his expression a neutral mask of seriousness. His harsh gaze took in all the faces before finally speaking. His voice was calm and confident, with a deep rumble that gave off the impression that he knew exactly what he was doing.

"Hey guys, my name is Gohan Son. This is my first year of public schooling, so take it easy on me huh?"

He smirked at the end of his statement, letting the rest of the class know that he really didn't care what they did. Videl watched him carefully. Taking her usual mental notes

_Okay so Gohan. He looks decently well built, if a little bit on the thin side. He's got a scar across his face that makes him look like a war vet, and he carries himself with such confidence._

She couldn't deny that she thought that Gohan was extremely attractive. And that's exactly why she already hated him. That sort of attraction was a weakness she couldn't afford to indulge. She glared down at the new student.

"Alright son, go ahead and find a seat."

Before Gohan could even so much as glance around for an empty one, Erasa stood up and waved at him from the second to last row.

"Up here cutie! There's a seat right here!"

Videl noticed him take on a very faint pink hue at her words, but he nodded and strode up the steps and settled himself in the seat next to the bubbly blonde. He gave her a small smile and a nod in thanks, and opened up his bag to pull out his things.

"Hi, I'm Erasa! With an E. This is my friend Videl and that guy over there is Sharpener."

He glanced past her to look at the other two. Sharpener absently waved his hand towards him, still staring off into space while Videl just glared at him.

_Sheesh what's got her panties in a twist?_

Not letting the glare get the better of him, he returned his gaze to the blonde next to him as she continued to babble. Videl furrowed her brow and stared in disbelief at Gohan. He had _really _just ignored her glare like it was nothing. The same glare that turned criminals into a babbling mess of nerves.

_Yet another thing to not like._

"So Gohan guess who Videl's pop is!"

Videl started at the mention of her father and watched the new guy for his reaction. He glanced over at her for a second before returning his eyes to the blonde, raising one eyebrow in question.

"She's the only daughter of Mr. Satan!"

Surprise. Regret. Disbelief. These were all things that she had been expecting. But she didn't anticipate the look she received from him.

His eyes hardened instantly, and he sent her a glare, only for a moment that completely froze her in place. Her heart seemed to be squeezed into nothingness for a second there, and her brain refused to register anything. His glare dissipated to be replaced by the normal calm and neutral expression.

"Interesting. What's it like, being a celebrity's daughter?"

His voice rumbled out to her, and she could hear the strain behind the words, even if it was masked well. The question startled her out of her numbed state, and she shook her head gently. She tried to control her trembling hands and regain her voice.

_What the fuck was that?!_

"No different than your life I'm sure."

He raised an eyebrow at that, and she was sure that she saw the corner of his mouth twitch upwards for a second. He returned his attention to Erasa as she spoke. The blonde was seemingly unaware of his exchange that had just happened and just kept on going, trying to get to know Gohan better. Videl couldn't yet control her heart rate and she tore her gaze away from him to stare at her still-trembling hands.

_How does he have this sort of power over me? Who _is _this guy?_

**A/N: Alrighty guys there ya go! The start of Gohan's first day, and I think a little more in-line with what I would expect from the ultimate bad-ass of the universe in disguise. Keep your eyes open, i'll have the next one up as soon as I can!**


	9. Alter Ego

**Hey all, i'm sorry this one took so much longer to put up, but things have been pretty rough at work the last few days (Have been effectively working 16 hour days between actually being there and being at home), but I promise i'm not slacking off on you guys! **

**This one is a continuation of the last chapter! As i'm sure you guessed this explains what i've been debating since I started writing this: Will there be a "Saiyaman" character? I'm not going to confirm or deny because that would just ruin the surprise! **

**Thanks all for the reviews, they really do mean a lot to me (Yes even the "I'm not impressed" one: Just means I need to work on it a bit!). I just ask that if you have a question for me you review from your account, not as a guest so that I can reply via message. Thanks! R&R and enjoy!**

**Chapter 9: Alter Ego**

***LUNCH PERIOD – GOHAN'S FIRST DAY***

In spite of his first assumptions, Gohan was actually starting to like being at high school. He wasn't used to there being so many people, and he was grateful that he wasn't getting too much attention. For the most part, people would only look at him for a second and then continue on with whatever it was that they were doing.

_If this is what it's like to fit in, then this is going to be a lot easier than I thought. _

He strolled outside to find a shady spot under a tree and pulled his lunch capsule. He sat down and clicked the button, decapsulizing a relatively small meal of a few chicken breasts, a couple bowls of rice and some of his mother's stir fry. He dug in, eating at a human pace, enjoying the meal his mother had prepared for him. It wasn't enough to fill him up, but he would be able to resist the hunger for the rest of the day at least.

"Hey Gohan! What are you doing out here?"

Gohan looked up from his bowl of stir fry and swallowed as Erasa came running up to where he was sitting, Sharpener and Videl in tow. Sharpener was eyeing the young demi's food with a look of disbelief and Videl was looking everywhere but at Gohan, with her arms crossed. Gohan smirked at that. She hadn't really done anything to him, but she was a reminder to him of Mr. Satan, and by extension, the Cell games. Causing her discomfort brought a sort of grim satisfaction to his injured psyche.

He put his food bowl down and motioned for them to sit with him. Erasa giggled happily and plopped herself down next to her new crush with her knees held up to her chest, and sharpener sat across from him, leaning back on his hands and stretching his legs out in front of him with a puzzled look on his face. Videl just stood away from the group, watching some of the other students mill about the courtyard.

"Hey nerd boy, is all of this yours?"

Gohan looked around for the 'nerd boy' in question before he realized that Sharpener was talking to him. He raised an eyebrow at him in silent question, his jaw set and a firm glare in his eyes.

"Whoa chill out man, I'm just messing with you! No offense meant!"

Gohan smirked a little bit and he tilted his head to the side to consider the blonde.

"It's okay _Sharpie_, none taken."

Sharpener half glared at the saiyan while Erasa giggled at the new nickname.

"Ha. Ha. Very funny Gohan. But you didn't answer my question, is all of this yours? There's enough here to feed like… Three people!"

Gohan shrugged and picked up his bowl of stir fry again. Nodding towards the rest of the pile.

"My mom likes to make sure I eat well. If you're interested you can have some. But be warned, the stir fry is mine. Mom's specialty."

Sharpener happily obliged, pulling up a chicken breast for himself and digging in. Erasa looked into the bowl of stir fry, wondering what was so good about it. It just looked like stir-fry to her.

"Hey Gohan, are you sure I can't try some of that? I'm curious about it now."

She put on her best smile and he looked at her exasperated for a second before picking up a piece of beef from the bowl with the chop sticks and offering it to her. She giggled before leaning in and taking the beef with her teeth, chewing on it slowly while the other three looked at her. Her face lit up and she stared at the bowl in disbelief.

"Kami Gohan, your mother's stir fry has to be some of the best I've ever tried! Who is she?"

He considered her for a second, trying to determine if she and the others were trustworthy enough to let into his life. Sure a name was nothing, but sooner or later they would want more information. The only one he was concerned about was the Satan girl, but then, what was his mother's name to them?

"My mom's name is Chi chi, and her cooking is so good because she spends most of her day cooking."

Videl looked at him for the first time since their introduction earlier. The name rang a bell in her head but she couldn't determine where from. Gohan noticed he had her attention and turned his attention to her. She paled slightly and averted her eyes, staring at a squirrel clambering up the side of the next tree over. Erasa noticed her best friend's actions and tilted her head to the side in confusion.

"Hey Videl what's up? Why don't you come over here and sit down with us? I promise, Gohan won't bite! Will you Gohan?"

Gohan fought to keep his face neutral as he felt the urge to burst out laughing. The implications of what she had said were not lost on him since his short discussion with the prince of all saiyans on mating. He instead settled on smirking and shaking his head before returning to his bowl of food.

_Not on your life, Erasa._

Videl hesitantly turned around and walked over to where Sharpener was sitting and dropped down next to him, crossing her legs and lacing her fingers together in her lap. The blonde quirked his eyebrows at Gohan with a confident smirk and moved to wrap an arm around Videl's shoulders. She turned her head slowly and glared at him before he could, and he backed off with a nervous grimace, causing Erasa to giggle and Gohan to chuckle. The two across from him stared at him with wide eyes. Videl frowned and stared at the grass in front of her.

_Whoa, he is capable of laughter!_

'Not only that honey, but it makes him that much sexier to you when he does doesn't it?'

_Shut up! You shouldn't even be in here! _

'Videl, why resist it? You know he's handsome and probably has a great body, judging by his frame! Erasa seems to have caught on, why don't you?'

_I don't care about that! He's a cold prick and I think he hates me! Did you see the way he glared at me when he found out who I was?_

'Well then why don't you ask and find out?'

_No. Shut up and go away._

She shook her head and noticed that Erasa was waving a hand in front of her face.

"Videl? You awake in there girl?"

"Yea Erasa, why?"

The blonde huffed and placed her hands on her hips. Videl noticed that the boys had already left to go get ready for their next class: PE. She raised an eyebrow at her best friend, giving her a 'what are you staring at me like I've grown a third eye for?' type look.

"Girl I think you're losing it. You were sitting there for a solid two minutes not doing anything. What's up? You know you can't hide anything from me! I'll figure it out sooner or later."

Videl stood and crossed her arms, glaring at her friend.

"It's Gohan, our new resident badass. I don't know Erasa, something about him bothers me, like he's hiding something, and you know how much I hate liars."

Erasa pouted at her best friend before her eyebrows shot up towards her short hair and her mouth slowly spread into a smile. She narrowed her eyes at the raven haired girl and grinned evilly at her.

"Oh girl you thought you could hide it from me?"

Videl furrowed her brow and scowled at her friend. She knew where this was going.

"Before you even start Erasa, no. Just, no."

Erasa grinned like she had just gotten a confirmed 'yea I think he's hot' from her best friend and turned to walk back into the school building.

"Deny it all you want Videl. Don't worry I won't get in your way, but you'd better make your move before someone else nabs him!"

Videl watched her leave with a shocked expression until she entered the building. She pinched the bridge of her nose and scowled with frustration.

_How the hell does she know these things? Gah, she doesn't know anything, there's nothing there to know!_

She sighed and followed her friend.

***PE CLASS***

Gohan emerged from the locker-room wearing a loose long sleeve shirt and a pair of sweat pants. Sharpener noticed that he hadn't removed his undershirt when changing, but didn't give it a second thought.

_Probably doesn't want to be embarrassed or something._

The two of them made their way outside where the rest of the class was already assembled. The coach, a middle aged man with a bushy moustache wearing a black tank top that showed off his lean muscles, smiled at the class and flipped a bat up to rest on his shoulder.

"Alright boys and girls, as I'm sure you've noticed we're going to play a game of baseball today! Sharpener and Videl, normal teams, three innings!"

He paused a minute and noticed Gohan standing there with his arms crossed.

"Uhhh let's see. Gohan right? You're going to be filling in on Videl's team. Alright let's go, Sharpener, your team is up first!"

He tossed the blonde the bat and walked over to the home plate while the rest of the class spread out, collecting gloves and running out into the field or filing into the dugout. Videl glanced nervously over at the other teen left standing there before making her way to him, putting on the best glare she could muster. He noticed her approaching and turned towards her, unfolding his arms and resting his hands on his hips.

_Damn he's tall. Why didn't I notice he's so tall?_

'You're just short darling.'

_Shut up!_

"You know how to play Gohan?"

She made her voice come out as confident as possible while looking up into those cold onyx eyes. His neutral frown shifted into a smirk and his eyes seemed to grow distant for a second.

"I might have played a couple times."

_More like Yamcha got me to play a game or two with him and his buddies from his team, and I thoroughly embarrassed him. Probably ought to refrain from doing that this time. I hope she doesn't have me pitch, it's hard to keep my strength down low enough for that._

"Good, I'm sticking you in right field."

His smirk deepened and his expression became devious. He made a comical looking bow and pulled out the best mock-butler voice he could.

"As you wish madam, right field it is madam."

He turned on his heel and walked out to right field, grabbing a glove on the way. Videl stood there staring after him, her face a mask of rage.

_Why that arrogant little shit! Who the hell does he think he is?!_

She growled and made her way to the pitcher's mound. The game started and immediately, Sharpeners team took the lead, getting up two runs after the first inning while Videl's had none. As of yet, nothing had been sent towards right field, and Gohan hadn't had his turn to bat quite yet. But he didn't mind. He wasn't keen to run the risk of showing off his abilities.

Second inning rolled around with no home runs for either team, and Gohan still hadn't done anything. Third inning came, and it was sharpeners turn to bat. Videl narrowed her eyes and adjusted her cap so that the sun was out of her eyes. She glared at his confident expression and imagined the ball in her hand was a grenade that would explode if he hit it. She smirked and wound up for the throw, letting it loose right over the plate. Sharpener shifted his weight back and with a loud crack sent the ball flying over right field.

Gohan saw the ball coming and determined that it was going to land just outside the fence. He thought the situation over quickly, deciding that he could still catch it without alarming anyone by doing something that would seem inhuman. He turned and bounded towards the fence, jumping as he neared and planting his feet on the top of the chest-height fence. He glanced up and saw the ball about to pass over him. He jumped and twisted in the air, raising his glove and catching the ball with a satisfying _thunk_. He looked over at the stunned face of the runner who had just left second and gently 'tossed' the ball to the second baseman, who caught the ball and tossed it back to Videl, who just stared at him incredulously.

_Oh come on! I didn't jump twenty feet in the air or anything! I just hopped off the fence, any one of these kids could do it if they wanted to!_

Gohan sighed and jogged towards the dugout, seeing as his double play had just gotten the third out. His team shook their heads before following him, still unsure if they had just seen him do that.

"Gohan that was one hell of a play! Have you ever considered joining the baseball team here? We'd love to have you!"

Gohan shrugged at the coach and gave him a nervous smile.

"No, sorry. I've only ever played recreationally, and I don't intend on changing it."

"Ah well that's a shame. Well good job son!"

Gohan nodded and sighed, glad that they hadn't been too shocked by his performance. He sat in the dugout, waiting for his turn to bat. His teammates watched excitedly as one batter hit a ball into left field, making it to second base while Erasa fumbled with the ball. Then another hit one right at Sharpener, who caught it before the runner on second even had a chance to leave. Then Videl was up, and hit the ball deep into right field, allowing the other runner to make it to home and scoring their first point. Then it was Gohan's turn.

He stepped up to the plate, bat in hand and took a lazy experimental swing with it, trying to gauge how hard he should hit. He settled himself in and waited patiently. Sharpener wound up and unleashed the ball right at Gohan. Gohan leaned back just enough to avoid the ball and glared at the blonde, who gulped and scratched the back of his neck nervously.

_That's how you want to play punk? Try this one on for size._

Sharpener wound up again, and threw the ball hard, curving it in from the outside. Gohan smirked and lazily swung the bat forward and hitting the ball dead on. In a puff of white dust the ball ruptured, and the rubber interior flew off over center field, leaving the leather skin to float right over to Sharpener's stunned face and land on top of his head. The core of the ball flew out of the field and into the street beyond where it crumbled as it got run over by a semi-truck.

Silence reigned after the crack of the ball and Gohan dropped the bat at his side and started jogging lightly towards first base.

_Okay that was stupid. Maybe I shouldn't have gone that far._

His team started cheering madly, amazed that they had been lucky enough for him to end up on their team. All except for Videl, who stared at him with wide eyes along with the rest of the other team. He jogged past first and stopped right before second and crossed his arms in front of Videl.

"You know, you should probably run home short stuff."

Videl started when he spoke to her, then huffed when she realized what he had said. She turned and ran around third base towards home, ignoring the giggles of the girl that was on second base.

_Okay the more I learn about this guy the more creeped out I get. He's good looking, he's smart, he's a pretty good athlete, and he's strong. Oh _and_ he's an arrogant prick._

'He's just a hunk! Admit it!'

_Shut up! Nobody asked you!_

***LAST PERIOD – OPEN STUDY***

"Wait. You mean to tell me that you know _the _Yamcha? You know the Bandit?"

Gohan shrugged off Sharpener's question, and resumed writing down the answers to that nights Calculus questions.

"You do realize Sharpener, that even celebrities have friends. Just look at you and Erasa."

Sharpener furrowed his brow in concentration, considering his logic. Eventually he just shrugged it off and returned to his own homework. He chuckled as another thought occurred to him.

"How do I know you're not just making that up? Next thing you know, you're going to tell us you know the gold fighter too."

Gohan halted his pencil and looked at him quizzically, earning a surprised look from the three teens seated to his right. Erasa was the first one to recover.

"Geez Gohan, where have you been all day? The gold fighter is a mysterious new crime fighter that appeared this morning over at east city bank! He beat up all the bad guys before our Videl here could even get in and do her stuff! I don't know exactly what he looks like, but he's supposed to be a young man in his early twenties with spiky golden hair and super strength! People have been saying he ripped the engine out of a car and caught bullets with his hands!"

Hearts appeared in her eyes and she stared off dreamily into space with a goofy grin on her face. Gohan just quirked an eyebrow at her, wondering how he should react to this.

"Did, uh… Did anyone see his face by chance? Any way to identify him?"

Videl looked at him with a sideways glance from where her head rested on her left hand, realizing that her friend was still lost in dream-land. She sighed and furrowed her brow. The same question had been running through her mind when she wasn't worried about being around Gohan.

"No, nobody got a good look at his face. If he turns up again though, I'll see if I can't do anything about that."

Not wanting to give away any signs of relief, he nodded and returned to his homework, hiding his expression.

_Too close. Only one day here and they're making a legend out of me. At least they got my age off a little bit, maybe that will throw them off. I can't let them see my face if I have to step in again though, or someone will surely recognize me._

He glanced back over to Videl, who was doodling another sketch of the gold fighter on a piece of scratch paper.

_In fact I might need to do something completely different if I do, or she _will_ figure it out. Can't have that happening now can I? I bet Bulma can help me out._

"You know Gohan we don't really know anything about you."

He started and looked over at Erasa, who was looking at him with a hopeful expression. Behind her, Videl had stopped her doodling and was listening intently and Sharpener was watching from behind her head, leaned back in his chair again. Gohan leaned back in his chair and laced his fingers together in his lap.

"Well what do you want to know?"

She looked thoughtful for a second before she smiled sweetly and settled her head in her hand to gaze at him.

"Well for instance, I don't even know how old you are! I mean if I saw you on the street I would think you were in your twenties already. I dunno you just look older, what with the awesome scar and all!"

He considered the question, and not seeing any way that the information could be used against him, decided to come clean.

"Well I'm eighteen as of a couple weeks ago. Like I said I've been homeschooled all my life."

She pouted a little bit.

"Darn you're older than all of us. We're still just seventeen! Videl will be eighteen here in a little over a month though! You say you were homeschooled, but where are you from?"

He hesitated, wondering what he should tell her. He knew it wasn't normal for people to travel five hours to and from school each day. He thought about it for a second before he found an alibi.

"West city during the school year. My godmother stays there with her husband and son, but my home is in the Ox kingdom. 439 Mountain area?"

It wasn't a complete lie, Bulma was his godmother, and he did have his own room at Capsule Corporation. But he figured he would leave that little detail out. Erasa's eyes widened and Videl actually glanced over at him confused.

"Wow no wonder you were homeschooled! You live out in the middle of nowhere! At least west city is only a twenty minute drive."

"Yea, my mom thought it would be a good idea to make friends with people my own age, so she decided to send me here for my senior year."

He shrugged and started back on his homework. He felt their three gazes on him and glanced up to see their incredulous expressions.

"You mean to tell me that you have no friends back home? You've got to be kidding me, how do you spend your time?!"

He furrowed his brow, not really understanding her question. What did she mean how does he spend his time? He had his little siblings, Lime, and the Z-fighters to occupy his time. Before he could ask her, she shot forward and latched onto his arm, startling him. He tensed and glared at her, but softened it quickly when she looked at him with what he could only describe as pity.

"You need to go out with us and have some fun! Not having any friends? I can only imagine what it must have been like."

He wanted to be mad at the statement, but she just sounded so sincere and apologetic. He sighed and his expression softened even more. He let a weak smile play on his lips and he nodded. Videl quickly averted her eyes and stared down at her paper.

_Wow he _actually _smiled. That wasn't his smirk that we've seen all day, that was an actual smile. It's amazing he doesn't look like a total hard-ass when he smiles._

'I told you, don't even try to resist him!'

_Get out of here! He wasn't smiling at me, and besides it's not like I have any real interest in him! I'm sure he's just like every other guy anyways._

"Alright Erasa, you win. But not today alright? I've got some things I need to take care of over in west city."

She pouted again but only for a second as she looked up into his onyx eyes. Her eyes lingered on the scar across his left eye and her brow furrowed. She seemed hesitant, not sure if she wanted to say what was on her mind. Finally curiosity got the better of her.

"Hey Gohan? What-… How did you get that?"

She pointed towards the scar and almost cringed when his eyes seemed to cloud over and his face set into a grimace as he was lost in thought about something. She glanced worriedly over at Videl who was watching him intently now, curious about what his answer would be.

Gohan was lost in thought, remembering the events of that day so many years ago. He felt shame wash over him as he remembered his childish decision to run away from his fears. How he had nearly killed himself that day by expending all of his energy, just letting it flow out of him. He glanced over to the blonde and felt a pang of guilt wash over him when he noticed she was staring at him with a scared expression. He hadn't meant to scare the girl, she just didn't realize what she had asked.

"A mistake."

Erasa knew she had hit a sensitive chord with her new classmate, and decided not to ask about it any further. Videl just stared at him. She could hardly believe the number of emotions that had shot through the young man's eyes in the few seconds he had been lost in his thoughts. In that little bit of time, the one that had dominated over them all, much to her surprise, was pain.

_What could cause him to be this way? I wonder what he was like before… This. Who are you really Gohan Son?_

***THAT EVENING AT CAPSULE CORPORATION***

"So let me make sure I understand Gohan… You want to know if I can make you a disguise that you can change into and out of quickly that completely hides your identity?"

Gohan nodded and leaned back into the couch, carefully watching the blue-haired genius as she lit a cigarette and dragged on it with a thoughtful expression. The now middle aged beauty was wearing a pair of grease-stained cover-alls that were undone and tied around her waist, revealing an orange t-shirt with the CC logo on the front. She looked over the sheet of paper in her hand that Gohan had just given her.

"You can do it right Bulma?"

She snorted and raised her eyebrow at him with a playful smirk.

"Please! Don't forget who you're talking to! I'll get it made for you, but it might take a day or two. You sure that this is what you're after looks wise? Seems a little dark doesn't it? And what's with the name? Bardock? What is that supposed to be?"

"Bardock is the name of my Grandfather. Dad's side, I got the name from Vegeta."

She set the paper down on her desk and gazed at her godson with her head tilted slightly to the side and a slight smile on her face.

"So you gonna tell me what this is all for? It's not like you to go out in public and show off."

He gave her a hurt expression, though he didn't disagree with her statement.

"I'm not going out there to show off Bulma, you know me better than that. You know mom convinced me to go to High school and the city has a serious criminal infestation. You know how hard it is for me to stand by and watch as innocent people get hurt."

"Well yea, but why the alter-ego?"

He laughed at her, as if it was the most obvious thing in the world sitting right in front of her nose.

"Hello? Earth to Bulma! How many humans are used to having someone fly around glowing gold and doing 'all those light tricks and stuff' in broad daylight?"

She giggled at his his impersonation of Hercule and rolled her eyes.

"Besides I'm trying to fit in while I'm at high school, not stick out. Theres already this one girl who is trying to track down the identity of the 'Gold Fighter', and she's in my class. On top of that she's the last person I want figuring it out."

Bulma's thoughtful expression turned into a devious smirk at the mention of a girl, and she quirked her eyebrows at him.

"Girl huh? Should I let Chi chi know? Who is she?"

She almost wished she could take her playful banter back as his face darkened and his eyebrows shot together in a glare. His jaw set and he stared at her, daring her to continue. She gulped and felt the color drain from her cheeks.

"Don't go there Bulma."

She couldn't help but notice that when he looked away he let his eyes soften and his expression became one of sorrow. Instantly her motherly affection towards the young demi kicked in and she strode over to sit next to him and wrap her arm around him in a one-armed hug. He didn't fight it, instead just allowing the gentle embrace.

_What's gotten into his head now? The only time he ever acts like this is when someone talks about Goku in front of him. Maybe it's this girl? I wonder…_

"Gohan who is she? I can tell that there's something bothering you, and it seems to be this girl."

He glanced at her out of the corner of her eye, feeling bad that he had scared her. He noticed that he seemed to be doing that a lot recently. He knew she was only messing around with him and honestly wanted the best for him. She did care for him as if he were her own son after all.

"Her name is Videl Satan."

Bulma raised an eyebrow in silent question.

"Yea the daughter of Hercule, and it's pretty hard for me to be around her."

_So that's why he's so serious about this. If she were to figure it all out, I bet she would blab it to the media… The apple doesn't fall far from the tree after all._

"She's the local crime-fighter for Satan City and she apparently takes the jobs too hard for the cops to handle, so it's likely I'll run into her more than once and this scar will tell her exactly who I am, super saiyan or no."

Bulma nodded her head and squeezed his shoulder in a reassuring manner. A loud rumbling noise echoed through the room and the both of them glanced down towards Gohan's stomach in shock. Bulma recovered and smirked, while gohan chuckled nervously. The Bluenette leaned in to peck her godson on the cheek and stood to get back to her work.

"Get out of here and go eat Gohan! I'm sure your mother is wondering where you are. Ill let you know as soon as this is ready for you."

***A LITTLE WHILE LATER – SATAN CITY***

Videl let out a battle cry and lunged towards her opponent. It was nearly dark, the orange sunset in the distance lighting the street with a dusky glow. The thief she was after had had her chasing his ass all over the east side of the city. Finally catching up to him, she had jumped from her 'copter and kicked him from his motorcycle. Her knee still ached from hitting the pavement when she rolled to decrease her momentum, but she didn't care right now. She was enjoying her favorite hobby: Baddie face smashing.

The thief went down hard, the kick snapping his head around to the side and knocking him unconscious, and the backpack containing the assorted jewelry crashed to the ground with a muffled tinkle. He hadn't put up as much as a fight as she had been hoping for, but she still felt good about it. She stood up straight and turned towards the oncoming police vehicles that had just caught up to them, waving her hand to let them know it was all good.

The police halted next to her and the fallen criminal and immediately began their work, thanking her for her assistance. She turned to leave the scene and stopped in her tracks.

_Holy shit it's him!_

Gohan stood atop a nearby apartment building, slightly amused at what he had just witnessed. The girl was relatively capable after all. He had seen the robbery as he was flying over Satan city on his way home from Capsule Corporation, and immediately transformed, having already removed his black shirt for the flight home, preferring to feel the wind on his skin. He had been about to zip down and deal with the thief when _she _had shown up.

Gohan decided that he would watch, if nothing else to see what she would do. If he needed to step in then he would, but he wasn't sure if that would be before or after the girl had made a fool of herself. Needless to say he was surprised at the daring maneuver she had performed by jumping out of her jet-copter while on the move to knock the guy off his bike, and even more surprised at the ferocity and power of her attacks. Gohan felt her ki fluctuate and spike as she fought and mused that she could actually be a good fighter if she were taught how to use the power she possessed.

He glared down at the girl who suddenly turned and looked directly at him. Realizing he had stayed just a moment too long, he shot off into the sky, headed northeast towards his home, leaving her way behind.

Videl just stared off into the sky in the direction the Gold Fighter flown off into.

_Wait… Fly? What the hell he can't fly! Why didn't anyone tell me he could fly? People can't fly without help, so he has to have been wearing a suit or something. But there was no sound, and no flash to indicate jets or anything. How bizarre. Crap I should have flown after him!_

Kicking herself mentally, she growled and mounted her jet-copter. She rubbed her temples and shut her eyes tight.

_You know, he did look a lot like those guys from the Cell games. It's too bad he wasn't close enough for me to make out clearly, I could have compared it to the footage to confirm it. _

She sighed in defeat and started up the 'copter, wondering what she would do about the Gold fighter.

**A/N: Alright guys, so this concludes the first day and sets up for the following chapters, which i've already started to write down ideas for. Fair warning, there is going to be a bit more character development during the OSH saga, and maybe my own twist on a common theme used in G/V fics, but I havn't decided yet. Oh and who was wondering if I would use a different name? My reason for Bardock? Well i'm not going to say because all of it will be explained in time! But let's see if anyone can figure it out before I explain it! As for the look? Just wait and see, all will be revealed soon!**


	10. Bardock

**Wow. This one took a lot longer than I anticipated to get up, and I apologize for the delay. As I mentioned in my last story, things have been pretty hectic, but I'm managing! This is a long one, and you guessed it: He will be unveiled today! Thanks to everyone who reviewed! Now, to answer a couple questions:**

**No. Broly is not alive still, but thank you for your concern whoever you are that brought it up on a guest account.**

**And to whoever put the Guest review saying that Bulma raped Gohan... I want to know who your dealer is, because whatever they gave you COMPLETELY messed you up... Just saying.**

**Anywhats, onto the story! R&R and enjoy!**

**Chapter 10: Bardock**

***ONE WEEK LATER: OSH***

Gohan stared down at the teacher as he droned on and on about ancient history of Greek city-states, occasionally taking notes. It wasn't like he hadn't already gone through all of this before, but he figured he might as well take notes for the other three. During the one week he had been at school, he had found friends in the two blondes, especially in Sharpener. Having never had a guy friend his age, he discovered a lot about the ways humans interacted with others their age, including Sharpener's favorite topic: Girls.

Sure Gohan had spent a lot of time with Lime, but he had never really seen her in the light that Sharpener described the young women of the species. Sure he had noticed the changes that Lime had gone through, and he considered her quite a beautiful girl, but that wasn't all there was to her. For Sharpener a lot of the times it was more as objects of beauty than people themselves. It disgusted him. But he dealt with it, reasoning that the young man had been brought up differently than himself. Who was he to be the arbiter of the way men thought of women? And when it came down to it Sharpener never acted on his urges, including towards the two young women he was close friends with, so Gohan let it pass and didn't try to tell him off for it.

Besides his mentality towards women, Gohan thought he was an alright guy. The Blonde worked out a lot and was proud of his accomplishments, which was something Gohan could admire, regardless of how insignificant they were in his eyes. Mostly though, he just enjoyed their playful banter that was a constant. Over the first week of school, he had developed a sort of mutual understanding with the boy via their name calling and teasing, and the two of them got along far better than Gohan had originally thought possible.

Erasa was a complete opposite of what Gohan was used to with Lime. Where Lime was quiet and reserved, and always seemed to know what to say, Erasa was overly Bubbly and gossipy. While Gohan could have done without hearing her silly little giggles and sharp, high-pitched voice ringing in his ears constantly, the girl was genuinely nice. She was the first to offer her friendship within the school and seemed to have a genuine interest in getting to know him for who he was.

Not that he intended to let any of them know.

Videl was something completely different though. Gohan didn't like her. Plain and simple, the girl was a source of anguish for him. He hated her for being the daughter of Hercule, because of the link that she shared with him through the Cell games and her father's part in them. But at the same time, he admired her. She was always being called off by the police, and on more than one occasion he had decided to watch her work. She was a very skilled fighter, and she didn't do it for the attention or for money. He couldn't figure her out.

When he had learned that she was the daughter of Hercule, he had automatically assumed that she would be a snotty little brat that used her name to get what she wanted. He wondered often why she would instead be the selfless do-gooder that he had witnessed over the last few days instead. What made her the way that she was? She was smart, almost too smart for her own good, and he hated to admit that she was a very attractive woman with a fiery spirit.

But no matter how he looked at her, she was still a Satan by blood and name, and that was more than enough reason for him to keep her at a distance. He tolerated her presence for the sake of his two new friends, but he wouldn't willingly be left alone with her.

And he still enjoyed his hobby of subtly making her uncomfortable.

He had set a routine for school already: Go to class, chat with Erasa… Or rather let the Blonde talk his ear off about the local gossip. Go eat food with his two new friends and Videl, often bringing enough for all of them, and then finish off school with P.E. and the last two periods. Every once in a while Videl's watch would go off, and the class would hear the message from the chief of police asking for her help, to which she would disappear for several hours. Gohan would monitor her fights by sensing her ki and those that she was fighting, and almost always the criminals were far outmatched by the young woman. But he never made an appearance, much to Videl's irritation.

_Heh, just another way for me to mess with her._

He glanced down at his own new watch that Bulma had just given him two days before. It looked normal enough, but he knew that if he pressed the small red buttons on either side of the watch, his clothes would instantly be replaced by the suit of his own design that Bulma had created for him personally. He was jerked from his thoughts when he felt an unusually large amount of ki spike somewhere off in the core of the city.

_Is that a single human? It's not that big but still…_

He glanced over at Videl, who was still working intently on her homework in an attempt to get it done and out of the way early.

_I don't know if she could actually handle that… Maybe she could? Oh I bet that would be quite fun to watch I think. Might give me a chance to try this thing out too. I bet she'll be getting a ca-_

_**Beep-beep!**_

He laughed inwardly at the accuracy of what was thinking. The raven-haired girl sighed in irritation and answered the call with an annoyed look on her face.

"Videl here, go ahead."

"Videl, there's a situation going on at the Orange Star Hospital down-town! We have an unconfirmed number of terrorists holding the hospital staff and patients hostage, and we're currently waiting for their demands."

Gohan's blood began to boil as he listened to the chief talk. His earlier thoughts of watching the fight for entertainment were gone. He was immediately reminded of when Freeza had nearly eliminated the entire population of planet Namek, wasting the elderly and children who were helpless against him for no reason other than his own greed. Not wanting to show what he was feeling, or let his rage take him again, he took a deep breath and waited for the girl to leave.

"I'm on my way chief. See what you can do until I get there."

Without a word to their teacher, the raven-haired girl stood and sprinted from the classroom, not even earning so much as a sideways glance from the old man. Gohan stood from his seat and began making his way towards the door as well.

"Mr. Son, where are you off to in such a hurry? We're about to go into detail on the battle of –"

"Thermopylae? 490 B.C., 7000 Greeks held the hot gates for seven days against the superior numbers of Xerxes' Persians using superior tactics and sheer will. Now if you don't mind, I'm going to the bathroom."

He glared at the teacher, his hand on the door-knob, daring him to contradict him. Fortunately the older man caught on that there was something going on, and just motioned for him to continue on his way. Not wasting any time he pulled the door open and hastily took his leave. The class just stared after him, wondering what had gotten into the new kid.

Erasa furrowed her brow as she watched the door swing shut, a concentrated frown lining her face.

_Gosh, that was scarier to watch than when I asked him about the scar. Oh, I hope he doesn't do anything to get himself hurt! I still need to see if he's willing to go to Videl's party in two weeks!_

***FIFTEEN MINUTES LATER, OUTSIDE OF THE HOSPITAL***

Videl landed her jet-copter and hopped out to meet the police chief as he strode to her ad-hoc landing pad in the middle of the street. She capsulized the machine and quickly joined the aging man.

"What do you have for me chief?"

The man stroked his moustache with a deep frown. He looked scared, more so than Videl had seen him in a long time.

"It's bad in there Videl. Most of the hospital staff are out already, along with about half the patients. It seems that the men inside are all former patients of the mental ward here, and more than a couple are former military. A lot of them have weapons, we don't know where from, and they're all there to try and rid themselves of their past it seems. There's one in particular named Xiang who was a student of General Tao, who is giving us a lot of resistance."

She furrowed her brow in concentration.

_Tao… Wait he was at the 23__rd__ Tournament! I remember him from what little footage my dad has of the older tournaments!_

"If you didn't know, Tao was once a mercenary for the Red Ribbon Army back when I was a younger man myself, and a natural born killer with exceptional skill."

That caught her by surprise. She had heard stories from the infamous Red Ribbon Army in their attempted conquest of the world, but she had not realized that he had been a part of it. She wondered if he was really as dangerous a man as the chief put on. She wondered if this Xiang character was just as good. Glancing at the graying man, she got all the confirmation she needed.

"Alright chief, what's the plan you've got set up so far?"

He pulled off his cap and leaned up against a police car parked in the street. He looked at her with complete exhaustion and despair.

"We already sent a team of SWAT in to try and neutralize them, but they went black about five minutes ago. None of them are responding to the calls, and we think that they're all down. We can't risk sending in a larger force or risk harming the Civilians still trapped in there. We don't even know how many of them there are! Quite honestly, I don't know what we're supposed to do besides wait for their demands. We have snipers in position around the building, but that's about the best I can do. These guys know what they're doing."

She dropped her gaze to the ground, staring between her feet as she tried to find a solution.

_Shit. Okay so think this one over. An unknown number of terrorists have taken control of the hospital, are mostly trained by the military, have weapons, and one of them is apparently a world class martial artist and killer. Think! Shit I bet that Gold fighter could take care of these jerks, after all the guy can catch bullets right? Special suit or not, that would be nice to have._

She only thought about it for a short while before coming to a conclusion.

"I'm gonna go in there chief. I'll try to neutralize the worst of them and get Xiang taken care of, I need you to prep the guys for evacuating the civilians okay?"

The chief paled and gaped at her like a fish out of water.

"V-Videl you can't possibly think you can take them all on can you? That's suici-"

"Chief! Get it together! Someone has to go in and do something before these whackos decide to off any of the hostages! I have the best chance and you know it!"

_I still wish I could catch bullets._

'Well just hold still and I'm sure they'll hit you'

_Oh shut up, that's not what I meant!_

Without listening to anything else the chief had to say, she hopped over the hood of the car and made her way to the hospital as quickly as her feet would allow. She made her way to a window and peaked in. Seeing it was empty, she pushed it open and climbed her way inside. She hadn't even made it to the door when she felt the floor vibrate and a loud crash echoed in from somewhere off in the distance.

_Fuck! That had better not have been explosives! Those sons of bitches!_

Not wasting any more time, she strode to the door and pulled it open just in time to see two men sprint by, rifles in their hands as they made their way towards the source of the noise. One of them hesitated a moment when the door opened, not making a connection to what he was seeing. Before he could even gasp in surprise, he found the short girl's knee buried in his gut, and received an elbow to the side of the head, knocking him out cold before he even hit the ground.

His partner halted in his run, looking over his shoulder just in time to see Videl land in a stance over his fallen comrade. He screeched to a halt, his boots squeaking on the polished tile floor, and turned to level his weapon at the girl. Videl wasted no time, darting forward as fast as she could. The man screamed and unleashed his assault rifle, not bothering to try and control the weapon as he sprayed at her with fully automatic hate and discontent. She ducked down and spun past the barrel of the weapon. She felt her senses sharpen as adrenaline coursed through her veins and she threw her right fist upwards in slow motion to connect with his jaw. His head shot backwards and blood spurted from the sides of his mouth as his teeth clamped down on his tongue and he immediately dropped his weapon.

He fell back clutching his jaw and bleeding mouth, screaming bloody murder the whole way. Videl quickly silenced him with a sharp kick to the side of the head. She turned on her heel and sprinted towards the west wing of the Hospital, mentally noting that the cafeteria and recreational rooms were located there as she passed some signs in the hallway.

_Probably should have entered the building on this side. Would have saved me the trouble of running through the entire hospital. Stupid!_

Regardless, she kept running, letting the adrenaline fuel her muscles as she ran. Rounding a corner, she was surprised to find a large hole in the wall, like someone had detonated a block of C4 in the hallway.

_What the fuck?_

Before she could even draw a conclusion as to what happened, a body flew through the hole and smacked into the opposite wall, sliding down to the floor of the hallway trailing blood down the perfect white tile. She crept up to the wall and was startled to see the cafeteria in complete disarray. Tables were thrown everywhere, and more than a couple had what appeared to be blood spattered all over them. To her horror she discovered that there were four hospital staff leaned up against the wall, all with obvious bullet wounds to their heads.

_What the hell did they do to deserve that?!_

She glared around, looking for the culprits and was pleased to see several of them laying in heaps all over the floor. More than one had enormous damage done to them, from shattered limbs that lay at odd angles, to holes that seemed to have been burned clean through them. There was even one who seemed to have had his skull smashed through the tile floor. She winced a bit and felt some of the color drain from her face.

_But who?..._

Then she saw him. Standing there, with his back to her and his shoulders rolled back and his arm in the air, just simply holding a man up by the throat. Her mind didn't really register what she was seeing. The man was covered in armor of black and green, and his head was hidden by a helmet. There wasn't a bit of skin that she could see, but he was huge. Standing at over six feet tall and from what she could tell, enough muscle to have scared even the best of her father's students. And he was just… _holding_ another man up by the throat, with his feet several inches off the ground as he struggled to break the grip of the masked man, who wasn't even flinching.

"Die, for all the anguish you've caused today."

The voice came out, dark and cold, without a hint of emotion. It was like it was from a machine instead of a person. It sent chills down Videl's spine and her eyes widened nearly as much as the struggling criminal's when she heard it. She stood transfixed as the masked man moved his other arm forward so that his palm was placed against the criminal's chest, and before she knew what was going on, a beam of light shot out of his back and exploded against the cafeteria wall. Blood shot from the new wound and she watched in horror as his eyes clouded over, and he became still.

_What the hell was that?! That's just like those tricks from the Cell games! Now that I think of it the fighters from the 23__rd__ tournament had those too! There has to be an explanation, that's just not possible. _

She snapped herself out of her stupor and climbed over the shattered wall to make her way towards the masked character, who dropped his victim.

Rage. That's what she felt at the moment he dropped the man. She couldn't believe she had really just witnessed the murder of another man, even if he was a criminal, without any apparent remorse. Whoever this guy was, she was going to make sure he got what was coming to him. She gritted her teeth and began to reach for his arm to spin him around and… Well she would figure out what she was going to do when she got there.

She never got the chance. He spun, snapping his arm up in front of her face, a ball of golden light crackling and simmering with energy aimed right for her nose. Her heart stopped in her chest and she froze in place with wide eyes as she stared at the light. Seconds passed and she couldn't even bring herself to move she was so scared. It was hot, the energy radiating from the ball was intense, and she swore that she didn't have any eyebrows left.  
_Okay, new theory… Those light tricks are most definitely not just for show. Oh god this is it, I'm about to buy it._

She clenched her fists and snapped her eyes shut against the glare of the light, waiting for the pain to hit her. Instead the heat began to dissipate and the light began to fade. She finally let out her breath when she felt it disappear and heard the rustle of clothing as she felt him lower his arm. Still not daring to open her eyes, she asked him the only question that she could force out of her uncooperative mouth.

"Why?"

She stood a there in complete silence, eyes shut tight against what she feared most in the world at that second. When his response came, she once again felt the chill his voice shot down her spine. It sounded a lot less robotic, but came out instead muffled.

_He's wearing a helmet. Duh!_

"Why did I not kill you? You do not deserve to die."

Feeling shot back into her limbs at his words, and when she remembered how he had just killed one of the criminals _she _was supposed to be capturing. She opened her eyes slowly and took in the man's appearance in detail.

He was wearing what appeared to be a black body-suit, made of some material she couldn't identify. It looked like a thick leather of some sort, but it contoured perfectly to the man's sculpted arms and well defined thighs. His lower legs were covered in calf-height boots that fit tightly against his large calves. His torso was covered in an armor breastplate that was a combination of flat black and a dull green, almost like olive drab. She noted that the armor itself looked like plastic, but wondered what plastic could handle military grade bullets without a scratch on it. His hands were covered with combat gloves that were bound to about half-way up his fore-arm, and were stretched taut over his large knuckles. She gazed up to where his face would have been.

_Dammit why am I so god damned short!_

His helmet was simple. It wasn't unlike a simple motorcycle helmet except for the fact that the tinted lens was sunk in slightly, and it was contoured a bit to mimic the shape of a face. Two small vents adorned the bottom of the helmet, and the left side bulged a tiny bit, indicating that he had communications of some sort in there. Most puzzling to her was that it didn't look like the helmet could easily be taken off. It just flowed together under his chin, turning into a flexible material that meshed perfectly with the body suit that reached half-way up his thick neck. In all, he was horrifying to take in, and seemed so… Inhuman.

"No, why did you kill him! All of these men, why?!"

She half screamed the last question at him, and throwing caution to the wind, swung her left arm forward in a wide-hook, which was easily blocked and caught by the masked man. As soon as their arms connected, she felt a jolt and burning pain shoot through her shoulder and she noticed that her arm was covered in blood. The man just stood there, his head dropped slightly to look at her.

"You should get that looked at, you've been shot."

She glared at him in confusion for a moment, then looked back at her shoulder. Sure enough, right there in her white t-shirt was a neat little hole near the top of her sleeve, and she could see blood oozing from the wound. As soon as she noticed it, another jolt of pain shot through her and she almost collapsed, hissing through her teeth as she tried to release her arm from his iron grip. He didn't resist, and crossed his arms in front of his chest as she clamped her good hand onto her shoulder, trying to stop the bleeding.

'I told you you could catch bullets!'

_Shut up! This is _not_ what I meant by that. Shit!_

The last of her adrenaline rush faded away and the ache began to set in. Her mind started to grow fuzzy, and she staggered to the side a little as exhaustion set in. She was surprised when her arm received an unusual pressure and her sideways descent halted, and she was steered over to a table by none other than the masked man. He wasn't overly gentle with her, but he wasn't abusive either. More like a father trying to discipline his favorite son.

He sat her down and clamped his hand down on the bullet wound, earning a sharp wail from her. He paused and clamped a hand over her mouth, silencing her.

"Shut up and hold still. The Bullet is still in there, and if it doesn't come out soon you could easily get an infection."

Her senses started to dull again after the sharp pain, and she just nodded dumbly at him. He removed his hand and set to work on her arm, rolling up the sleeve and gripping her shoulder in one of his large hands.

"Let me make one thing perfectly clear to you. You will not like what I have to say, and neither will the rest of this city I'm sure, but I'm going to answer your questions."

She gritted her teeth and shut her eyes hard as another wave of agony washed over her from her shoulder. She could feel herself quake a bit as his fingers went to work, prodding the wound. But she listened intently to his words as best she could.

"That man I just killed was Xiang. You would not have been a match for him, and before you argue, rest assured that I know what I am talking about. He was a cold and ruthless killer, just like his instructor, who I have had a run in with before."

She felt another wave of agony and clenched her fists until she heard a loud tinkle and felt the pain in her arm diminish to a dull ache. She gathered her wits about her and opened her eyes to look at the helmeted man, who was still still clutching her shoulder and simultaneously ripped a strip of cloth from the bottom of her t-shirt. She felt irritation well up in her but pushed it down when he began to wrap it tightly around her upper arm and shoulder. She furrowed her eyebrows and looked right into the visor of his helmet, as if trying to see his face through it.

"But why did you kill him? He should have faced justice!"

He cut her off by pulling sharply on the cloth, earning a quiet whimper from her as she tried to control her quaking body and dulled mind. He grabbed he good hand and placed it on her now bound shoulder.

"Keep the pressure on that, you've already lost enough blood."

In her fuzzy state of mind she didn't feel like talking back to him, and so she just put as much pressure on the wound as she could and tried to focus. It was getting more and more difficult. She heard a barely audible sigh as her head started to droop forward. God how she wanted to sleep right now.

Just like a light switch, everything jolted back to a sharp state of being, her tiredness was gone and her senses came back in full force. The pain in her shoulder shot back full swing and she almost cried out. She felt herself start to hunch over in agony but couldn't. She snapped her eyes open to see he had a hand pressed against the center of her chest. Her fingers numbed as she remembered the last time she had seen him with his hand pressed against someone else like that and she glanced fearfully at him.

"I already told you, I'm not going to kill you. I just gave you some of my energy so that you could stay awake until someone gets here."

_His what? What the hell does he mean he gave me some of his energy?_

He pulled his hand back and stood, stepping back to take her in as she sat on the bench trying to control her expression as she pondered his revelation. His head turned slightly to the side, as if he noticed something out of the corner of his eye.

"Which should be very soon, if I'm not mistaken. You wanted to know why I killed Xiang? He didn't deserve another chance to escape and do something like this again. None of these… _swine _deserve it. The fact that they came here to a place where innocents do nothing but help those like them, just to kill those same people?... In that moment, they lost all their rights to live. I for one cannot tolerate such cowardice, and so I removed the problem at the source."

She regained some of her composure and glared at the ground, thinking hard as he spoke. She was right, the media would not have liked what he had to say. He'd be a cold blooded murderer in their eyes, regardless of who it was he killed.

_But he's right. He isn't a murderer, he's as much a protector as the police. The difference is that he was willing to do that which the police refuse. And, what I have been scared to do since I started this. I am… ashamed that he is so willing to do that which I have wanted to be able to do to protect this city. He can do everything that I can't out of fear of ridicule._

She raised her eyes to look at him again, fearing the man much less now that she had come to that conclusion.

"Now, pay attention. I do not honestly care what you tell the reporters that are inevitably going to ask you questions, but be warned: I will not be detained for my actions. More so, there is not one among you all who could detain me unless I willed it, so do not make the attempt. If I show up again, it means that you need my help, and it would not benefit you to turn that help away by irking me."

The irritation she felt earlier rushed back and she glared at the man. Who was he to claim himself so above the law that he could not be detained?

_Well I did just see him throw a man through a wall and blow a hole in my primary target with nothing more than a beam of light that came from his fucking hand. Might be best to listen to him on this one._

She winced and clutched her shoulder tighter as a wave of nausea and fatigue washed over her, and she fought to control her stomach. The smell of death in the room was starting to affect her now. The man turned to leave and started walking for the door the door that went outside from the cafeteria. She pushed down her discomfort and stood, her breath catching in her throat as she almost fell forward with dizziness. She shut her eyes to stop the spinning and steadied herself on her feet.

"Wait! Who are you?"

She opened her eyes and was surprised to find him kneeling besides one of the four victims that were still slouched against the wall, a hand on their shoulder as if he were trying to comfort them. She barely heard the words "I'm sorry I wasn't fast enough" come from the man before he stood in the doorway to look in her direction. He paused there for a while, trying to determine what to say.

"I've been called a lot in my short life. But you, and everyone else in this city, may call me Bardock."

Without another word he stepped out the door and shot into the sky, leaving Videl stunned as she had been when the Gold fighter had flown in front of her a week earlier. She felt her dizziness return and fell back to sitting on the chair she had been sat in by Bardock. Once she had control of her head, she closed her eyes in though.

_Okay so now there's two people who can fly without any apparent assistance. One is the Gold fighter, who I have not seen in a week, and now Bardock? I wonder…_

'You know you might be right about this one. It seems too much a coincidence that two apparent super-humans show up at almost the same time, but one disappears just before the other makes his debut.'

_Well I'm glad that I can agree with myself now, but what am I going to try to tell everyone else? I just let an apparent mass murderer leave out the back door without a word._

'Well now aren't you sounding ungrateful? He did just save you a lot of trouble by dealing with all of these men, _and_ helping you with that wound.'

_Alright fine I know he's not a mass murderer… and that I think he did the right thing here. But that doesn't answer the question, I still have to tell them all something._

'Just tell the truth! It's simple, he already said that he will not willingly be detained right? SO convince the chief to take his words to heart, and convince the people of the city not to fear him. He did this for the greater good didn't he?'

_Oh I don't know, he did do it for the greater good. But I don't know what kind of reception his appearance will get. Maybe if I can bend the truth a little bit? Say that he only followed through with the kills after meeting lethal force?_

She glanced over at the bodies of the four hospital staff.

_Most definitely he met with it, I just don't think that he could have been effected by it._

Her thoughts were interrupted by the sound of boots in the hallway followed by a loud yelp and some gasps of shock as Police made their way into the room. She didn't look at them, instead choosing to stare at her hand, still painted red in her own blood. She heard the hurried footsteps of someone wearing loafers instead of boots.

'Well girl, here comes the chief I'm sure. Best make up your mind quick.'

_Yea, Yea I'm thinking._

The older man slowed to a halt right in front of her, kneeling and taking in the damage quickly. He blanched when he traced her bloodied arm up to her bandaged shoulder, where the white material of her shirt was sopping wet with blood. He turned towards the rest of the stunned police force and waved his hand in the air, motioning at someone to come to them.

"Medic! Videl's been hit!"

She heard another person come rushing towards them as the chief grabbed her good shoulder and shook her gently. She glanced up at the man, who had worry etched all over his lined face. His moustache quivered slightly when she moved and the corners of his lips angled up in relief when she moved. But his eyes remained serious. He stepped back as the medic arrived and began to tenderly inspect her shoulder. The chief stood back and continued to stare at the raven haired girl.

"Videl, what happened here?"

He glanced around him, again taking in the bodies of the hospital staff as two officers in full combat gear laid them out on stretchers and covered them with sheets. In the background, someone whistled in surprise as they pulled the man who's head had been buried through the tile out of the floor, revealing an insane amount of damage to his skull. Behind them, she could hear someone muttering quietly about "what could have caused a hole like this?". The chief turned back to look at her intently and she chewed on the inside of her cheek, trying to decide how to continue. She sighed deeply and set her jaw, making up her mind and looking at the police chief with a hard expression.

"Bardock happened. This is his doing."

She motioned with her head towards the damage done to the room. The chief looked at her quizzically, but she cut him off before he could comment.

"Yea Bardock is his name. Yes I know it seems crazy, but I saw him do it. Or atleast I saw him kill Xiang. He's the one who removed the bullet from my shoulder. I wouldn't have been able to take all of these guys on by myself."

The medic unwrapped the shredded T-shirt from her shoulder and began poking at the wound. Videl winced as he did, and the medic went into his bag to remove a needle. He turned to her and removed the cap, gripping her knee to steady her leg and swiftly stabbing her thigh with the shot.

"It's just a flesh wound Videl, nothing too serious. You'll need some stitches and a couple weeks of rest for it to heal, but you should be fine after that."

She winced, and then relaxed completely when the dose of morphine kicked in, completely removing any pain she felt in her shoulder. He pulled a rolled up bandage, some gauze, and a sling from his bag and started again at bandaging the wound.

The chief removed his hat and looked at the floor thoughtfully while the medic worked. Finally returning his gaze to her, he set his face and pulled up a chair to sit in front of her.

"Alright Videl, tell me everything."

Videl sighed and stared at the chief's badge, sparkling gold in the incandescent light. This was going to take a while.

***END OF THE SCHOOL DAY – OSH***

Gohan walked in silence down the crowded halls with Erasa and Sharpener in tow. When asked earlier, he had simply said that he needed to get out and calm down when he heard the police chief give his report to Videl. The students and the teacher had opted not to question him due to how distraught he had seemed earlier. He was lost in thought about the day, wondering what to make of the raven haired girl he had helped.

He had seen a TV news report that Erasa was playing during lunch, showing a statement from Videl who was claiming his alter-ego to be "Satan City's newest defender", and stating that while he had killed the men who attacked the hospital, it was all in defense of the personnel there. She described him briefly in appearance and then stated that they were all in his debt, and that he should not be afraid to show himself to the city. He was surprised to see that she was up and fully functional, with her arm in a sling. Her voice sounded sincere enough, and to him, almost pleading.

_She is so strange to me. I expected her to try and downplay it all, not glorify it. I wasn't even in time to save the hostages they had taken. Why is she so different than I expected__? Could she really be a far cry from her father? Every time I think that I know what she will do, she turns around and surprises me by doing the opposite._

He felt a pang of guilt edge into his gut. Maybe he had been too harsh with the girl?

_No, she probably has something else planned for Bardock if he makes another appearance. Probably is going to try and find a way to downplay him just like Hercule did with the Z-fighters later, claiming it all to be tricks or special combat suits. _

"Hey Gohan? There's something I've been meaning to ask."

He stopped in his tracks and turned slightly to look at Erasa, who was looking hopefully up at him. Sharpener crossed his arms and leaned up against the lockers, watching people pass them all in the hallway. He pushed away his thoughts about the raven-haired girl and raised his eyebrows in question.

"Well, I know it's not really my place to do this, but I wanted to know if you wanted to go to Videl's birthday party in two weeks. You weren't here when the invites were sent out, but I think that I can convince Videl to let you come. It's at her mansion and her dad is going to be out of town so there's no telling what might happen that night!"

Gohan furrowed his brow and stared at the tiles between the girl's feet. He didn't really like the idea of being in Videl's home with a bunch of hormonal teenagers that were extremely likely to find alcohol. He'd never drank it personally, unless you counted the fermented apple he had eaten when he was just a child, but he knew how different people could act on it.

"Pleeeeeease? It'll be fun, and you can hang out with us! You were busy all last week and we havnt gotten to yet remember?"

He glanced at her again, and almost melted when he took in her expression.

_God she's almost as bad as Lime and the twins! Hmphf… Well maybe if I can convince Lime to come with, it won't be so bad? Who knows, maybe I'll actually enjoy myself there? _

He sighed and nodded his head in consent. The bubbly blonde bounced excitedly on the balls of her feet and made to hug the tall teen, but he stalled her by holding up his hand and smirking slightly.

"On one condition: I get to bring a friend."

Erasa cocked an eyebrow at him in puzzlement, but shrugged it off and smiled brightly at him.

"Of course! The more the merrier right? I'll talk to her today about it, but I'm sure she'll say okay. I bet she'll ask you tomorrow when she comes in! After all, she won't be going out and crime fighting any-more will she? Not with that shoulder of hers!"

He almost chuckled at her enthusiasm, she really did have an infectious personality. He turned to his locker and pulled it open, wondering what would happen at this party while he got ready to head home. Reflecting back on it, he decided that it could have been much worse of a day.

**A/N: Okay so this one was a long one huh? Sorry about that, but I felt like I needed to emphasize a few things about the interaction between Gohan and Videl. Can any of you tell where this story is going? I bet the next chapter will surprise you! Hint: I'm jumping forward to the party! But don't be hasty in assuming what will happen! Stay tuned, i'll have the next one up ASAP!**


	11. Friends and Saviors

**Hey all! Got a moment yesterday to write most of this one down, so here it is! I cannot express how elated I was to see how well Bardock was recieved! Really it means a whole lot to me when I get that many positive reviews =)**

**Anyways, onto the story! It doesn't immediately skip to the party, but... oh you'll see what happens! By the way... Vital chapter! See if you can spot the reason! R&R and enjoy!**

**Chapter 11: Friends and Saviors**

***NIGHT OF THE HOSPITAL ATTACK – SATAN MANSION***

"What do you mean he left and didn't come back?"

Videl paused in her textbook that Erasa had brought her and stared at her blonde friend. She unintentionally tensed and winced at the ache in her shoulder. It was itchy under the bandages that were tightly wrapped around the joint, and she hated having to leave her arm in a sling. It made her feel vulnerable. Erasa looked up from her own book across from her best friend as they sat on Videl's Queen sized bed.

"Well he came back just not until it was almost lunch time! It was scary, the look on his face when the chief was talking to you. You remember what he looked like when I asked him about the scar on his face? It was even worse than that. He just got up, scared the teacher and walked out, saying he needed to go out for a break. Nobody in the class knew what to do, and me and Sharpy were too scared to go after him."

Videl frowned and scrunched her face in concentration.

_What could have set him off like that? I swear every time I turn around he's doing something weird! Man today has just been full of surprises hasn't it?_

'Hello, Earth to Videl! It's been crazy since Gohan arrived a week ago!'

_Well yea, but it's not like that's his fault is it?_

'Do the math here girl, the Gold fighter shows up just before school, you get the new kid, and now there's this Bardock guy.'

_Crap how did I not see this before!_

"Videl? What is it?"

Videl started and looked at Erasa with a look of disbelief. Videl considered a moment how to go about discussing her thoughts with her best friend. Finally, she sighed and closed her eyes, steeling herself for what she knew was going to come.

"Erasa, did you notice that since Gohan got here, the city has seen not one, but two new super-hero characters?"

Erasa just gazed at Videl for a moment, not fully registering what she was getting at. Once the implication hit her, she abruptly started laughing at the raven haired girl. Videl's eyebrows shot together and she glared at the blonde.

"What the hell is so damned funny?"

Erasa sat back and propped herself up on her hands and tried to get her laughter under control.

"Videl! Girl, you have to be kidding right? Gohan can't be the Gold Fighter OR this Bardock character, much less both of them! Can he?"

Videl frowned and dropped her gaze to her hands in her lap. She played with the fabric of her sling and quietly started voicing her realizations.

"Erasa just listen, it might be coincidence, but it matches up too well. Last week, some random guy just shows up and displays inhuman feats of strength and speed, then disappears before anyone else can get a good look at him. Then Gohan shows up and you can't tell me he's anything like the other guys in our class."

She glanced up at her friend who had a pout of concentration on her face as she considered what Videl was saying. Videl paused a moment for any comment, but getting none, decided to continue.

"Then the Gold fighter shows up again right after I take down a jewelry thief, just watching from a distance. I think he noticed I spotted him because he immediately took off and _flew_ out of town without any means of transportation. It definitely seems to me that he doesn't want to be recognized by anyone in the city, so it would make sense for him to hide his face right? Then just today a new person shows up who can shoot light from his hands, has inhuman strength and can fly, and just _happens _to be wearing a suit that covers him entirely so we can't see any of him?"

She paused again, watching her friend for a reaction. The blonde was staring at the fabric of the comforter, deep in thought.

"Well yea girl I get it if the Gold Fighter doesn't want to be recognized, not all people do. It would make a certain kind of sense for him to create a disguise, but what does Gohan have to do with this?"

Videl nodded her head, happy that her friend was at least listening to her theory and agreed with part of it.

"Well he just showed up at the same time as those two, and then right after I leave today he disappears for the entirety of the class? I mean he's the right height to be Bardock and everything, though I don't know if he's as muscular as Bardock is."

Erasa quirked an eyebrow and smirked, obviously planning on saying something smart about that, but decided to save it for later. She blinked a couple times and chewed her bottom lip for a second.

"I see what you're getting at Videl, but there's no proof. What if Bardock is his real name and Gohan just happened to get upset and leave class today? I mean I agree that the Gold Fighter is very likely to be this Bardock guy, but I just can't see Gohan being either of them."

Videl sighed and scratched her cheek in thought, not willing to give up so easily.

"Maybe we ought to just ask hi-"

"No Videl! We can't just go prying him like that! I know you don't like liars, but I don't think he's the sort to do that. On top of that, we just got him to start being friendly with us and-"

"You mean he's friendly with you and Sharpener. He obviously has a stick up his ass when it comes to me."

Erasa glared at her friend, continuing like the raven haired girl hadn't said anything.

"-_and _I think that you should try to get him to befriend you too! He doesn't know you, but then it's only been a week. So _don't _go prying for personal information like that, you saw how he got when I asked about the scar! I think we can all agree that he's been through something that hardened him to the rest of the world right?"

Videl pursed her lips and stared hard at the blonde. She hated it when Erasa was right about things that were bothering her. She silently agreed that it would not benefit her to interrogate the onyx eyed teen, but she wouldn't give up entirely. She silently mused ways for her to figure him out.

"So anyways girl, tell me about this Bardock guy! Was he sexy or what?"

Videl stared incredulously at the blonde, who was wearing a sly smirk and quirked her eyebrows at her. Videl face-palmed and groaned.

'Well, if those muscles were any indication, he would put Adonis to shame.'

_Shut up…_

***MEANWHILE AT THE SON RESIDENCE***

Gohan landed lightly in front of his house, and immediately changed from his suit by pressing the watch buttons buried under the sleeve of his left glove. He pushed the door open and crossed the threshold into his home. He could hear quiet giggling coming from up the stairs, and saw his mother in the kitchen preparing dinner. She glanced at him and then carefully avoided looking him in the eye, trying to hide her amusement over something.

_Oh Kami, what's going on now? She's got that shit-eating grin on._

"Gohan! Get your butt over here!"

Gohan stopped in his tracks and stared up the stairs in the direction the yell had come from. Before he could move, the twins came sprinting down the hall and jumped from the top stair, soaring through the air and giggling.

"Gohan!"

"You're in trouble big brother!"

Gohan's eyes widened and he caught the two twins, fighting to keep his balance. He looked between the two of them, wondering what they were talking about. Both children smiled up at him and then glanced up towards the stairs. He followed their gaze and gulped when he saw a very irate looking Lime standing at the top of the stairs with hands on her hips and a mean looking glare. She began making her way down the stairs, her glare unwavering.

"And just _when_ were you planning on telling me you were going to go off to high school and be a super hero?"

_Crap I completely forgot to tell her last week! Oh man I wonder how long she's been here._

He stepped back from the stairs and pried the twins from him in preparation to run for it. Lime might be only a human, but she was terrifying when she was cranky.

"You know, I've been here for _hours_ waiting for you to come back."

She reached the bottom of the stairs and glared up at him. He held his breath, waiting for the worst. She crossed her arms and closed her eyes, pausing just long enough to make him want to turn and run.

"I suppose I can't really be mad at you for wanting to be a super-hero, that's in your blood."

Gohan sighed and felt the lump in his throat deflate and he closed his eyes in relief. Right before she slapped him around the back of his head, snapping him back into a state of caution as he rubbed the sore spot.

"But you should have told me you were going to high school stupid! I would have joined with you so that you didn't have to go alone!"

Gohan laughed sheepishly and continued to rub the sore spot on the back of his head.

She rolled her eyes and sighed deeply. Her frown slowly turned into an amused smile against her will and before long she was chuckling at her best friend. She just couldn't stay mad at him. She reached up and poked him roughly in the sternum.

"So, your punishment buddy, is that I will be going with you for the rest of the semester. Got it?"

Gohan glanced around confused for a second and cocked an eyebrow at her in question.

"Ummm Lime. You do know you have to take the entrance exams and whatnot right? On top of that why would you want to go to Orange Star High?"

"She already has taken the exams sweety! I helped her with the computer in your room and she took them today. She'll be starting in two weeks."

Gohan glanced over his shoulder in the direction of the kitchen.

_I swear they are all together plotting against me or something._

"Lime, how is this going to work out? What do your parents think about it?"

She smirked and crossed her arms again.

"Well, my parents are perfectly fine with me going off to High School. You know, there aren't many children in my village, so they're happy I want to get out and socialize. As for how it's going to work, don't worry I'm not going to make you carry me every day. I'll just stay with Bulma at Capsule Corp in my room there, or did you forget that she gave me a room across the hall from yours?"

Gohan ran his hands through his hair and nodded thoughtfully. He really couldn't think of anything that would cause too much trouble by Lime going to school with him. He felt a tug on his free hand and looked down to see Ria hanging from his fingers, looking up at him hopefully.

"Gohan can we go play now? Lime said we couldn't play with you until she talked to you! Please?"

Her pleas instantly turned his heart into a puddle at the bottom of his stomach and he grinned at her. Gohan bounced excitedly in the background, waiting for the response. He steeled himself and picked up the little girl to rest on his arm.

"Hang on a second runt, now it's my turn to ask Lime something."

Lime cocked her head to the side like a confused puppy.

"Well, I got a tentative invitation to a birthday party the weekend before you're going to be starting school. Saturday specifically. I told one of the girls in my class I'd go if I got to bring a friend along, and you're my only real friend my age."

She smiled at him warmly.

"Aww lookit little Gohan, making girlfriends and being a big boy!"

He pouted at her mockery, causing Ria and Goten to giggle loudly. He swore he could hear his mother chuckling from the kitchen too. Lime rolled her eyes and smirked at him.

"Of course I'll go monkey boy. Gotta make sure you don't get too crazy now don't I?"

Gohan smiled at her and quirked his eyebrows at the auburn-haired teen, glancing down at his little sister simultaneously. Lime caught the meaning behind his movements and glanced over at Goten who was still bouncing excitedly in place, looking between the two teens. In a silent count, Gohan grabbed Ria's leg and spun her upside down and earning a loud squeal at the same time that Lime lunged forward and grabbed Goten around the middle and ran for the front door. Gohan followed, still carrying the upside down and giggling form of his little sister.

"Play time squirts!"

***TWO WEEKS LATER – OUTSIDE SATAN MANSION***

Gohan and Lime walked along the sidewalk, quietly murmuring to each other. It was beginning to get dark out and they were deep in conversation about a certain raven haired teen who had turned eighteen that day. The last two weeks, things had been pretty quiet within the city. With Videl out of action until another week from now, Gohan had taken it upon himself to assist the Police when things got too rough for them to handle. Fortunately that had only happened twice, and Videl had not noticed his absence. Gohan discussed with lime about everything that had been happening in Satan City at Capsule corp where Lime was getting settled. Recently, their discussions consisted of talking about what they should do about the party they were on their way to. Gohan looked at her with a serious expression and straightened his button-up shirt nervously.

"It's all so strange Lime, she's done a complete one-eighty since I got to high school. First she's all nervous around me, and now it's like she's trying too hard to be friendly with me, even when I'm a total dick to her! I don't get it."

Lime rolled her eyes and sighed exasperatedly. She had heard her best friend's description of the Satan girl, and she sounded like a good person. If only he would pull his head out of his ass and actually try to get to know the girl on a personal level.

"You know Gohan, just because she's Hercules daughter doesn't mean she is going to be like him. Everything you've told me has given me one vital piece of information..."

He glanced over at her when she paused and she looked at him critically.

"You're paranoid. Lighten up and have a little fun why don't you? She might actually want to be your friend you know."

He grimaced and returned his eyes to the front. The two of them walked the rest of the way to the entrance of the Satan grounds and turned in at the gate. Gohan slowed slightly to admire the courtyard. It wasn't really his taste, but the artistry and simplicity of it all was rather catchy. There was a pool out in the middle of the courtyard and smoke was billowing up from a large smoker where a familiar tall blonde man in swim trunks was tending to some burgers, a cup in hand. Several other teens wandered about socializing or swimming, and a few were busy setting up a sound system on the flat lawn on the other side of the pool.

"Hey Gohan! You made it!"

Gohan stopped and turned towards the mansion to see Erasa jogging towards the two new arrivals dressed in a green bikini that showed off her curvy figure. Sharpener looked up from his work a moment to raise his cup in a silent toast towards Gohan and went back to cooking. Gohan waved to him in response and turned towards his other friend as she came to a stop and jumped forward to hug him. He shifted uncomfortably, still not used to her normal way of greeting people, much less when she was showing off so much skin. He glanced at Lime who was trying to stifle her giggles at his expression. He rolled his eyes at her and returned the blondes hug.

Erasa pulled out of the hug and smiled up at him excitedly. She glanced over at Lime and then looked back up at her friend.

"So Gohan, who's your friend that I've been waiting to meet?"

Gohan coughed nervously and held his hand out towards lime, like he was showing off a new product on a commercial.

"Erasa, this is Lime. Lime, this is Erasa. Lime is the only friend my age that I had before meeting you guys at school."

Lime smiled sweetly at the bubbly blonde and extended her hand towards her.

"Hey Erasa, it's nice to finally meet you. Gohan's told me a lot about you."

The blonde looked at Limes extended hand a moment, but ignored it and jumped forward to wrap the girl in a hug. Lime hesitantly returned the hug, eyes wide and looking at Gohan as if to ask for help. He just shrugged giving her a "She does that a lot" look.

The blonde stepped out of the hug and looked Lime up and down with a huge grin on her face.

"Sooo… You and Gohan?"

Lime looked at her confused a second until she caught Gohan's wide eyed and flushed expression and laughed nervously, waving her hands in front of her.

"Oh no, we're not together! He's effectively my brother, so that would be weird."

The blonde giggled at their reaction and motioned towards the punch and food table.

"You guys go ahead and go dig in okay! The football guys are setting up the music stuff right now, and Videl is up in the house with some other guests."

She glanced around suspiciously and leaned in close to the other two.

"And try the punch at your own risk, I think Corey spiked it. But don't quote me on that, I don't know for certain."

She pointed over her shoulder at a tall brunet jock wearing a letterman jacket who stood in the center of a small group of girls who were laughing at a joke he just told. Gohan Identified him as the football team quarterback, and one of his least favorite people at school. The jock had no sense of humility, and was something of a man-whore, and his most recent target had been Videl. Gohan didn't really care about Videl's love life, but he did care about pig-headed jocks that needed an attitude adjustment.

Erasa straightened back up and playfully shoved Gohan on the shoulder, not even budging him an inch, but catching his attention nonetheless. She grinned up at him and pointed over her shoulder towards the pool.

"Now if you guys don't mind, I'm gonna go hop in the pool! You should join us!"

She gave Gohan a significant look and quirked her eyebrows at Lime before jogging off and cannon-balling into the deep end with a splash. Lime giggled and elbowed Gohan in the ribs.

"Go on stud, let's see you go for a swim!"

Gohan rolled his eyes and smirked.

"I know you like seeing me without a shirt on Lime, but I think I'll reserve that for family and close friends only."

She stuck her tongue out at him in response, earning a soft chuckle.

They wandered about the grounds for a while, meeting new people and sipping on the punch, which Gohan had determined was not spiked… Yet. He introduced Lime to Sharpener as he worked, much to Sharpeners excitement.

"Hey nerd boy! Who's the babe?"

Gohan crossed his arms and mock-glared the long-haired teen. Lime blushed slightly and stared bashfully at the boy. Sharpener flipped a burger skillfully and set the spatula down with his cup of punch before turning to the two. Gohan nodded towards Sharpener and looked over at Lime who was glancing between the two expectantly.

"Lime, this is Sharpener. Or rather, "Sharpy", depending on what kind of day I'm having. Sharpy, this is Lime, my friend from home."

Lime extended her hand again, which Sharpener took and bowed forward kiss softly.

"Bonjour, mademoiselle."

Lime's face flushed with excitement and Gohan rolled his eyes at his friend's antics.

"Vous parlez français?"

Sharpener returned to his full height and grinned down at the girl and chuckled.

"Nope! Can't actually speak it, I only took one year of it and failed miserably. I just think it sounds good to say hello in French."

The two looked at each other in silence for just a moment before bursting out into laughter. Gohan shook his head and chuckled his deep-throated chuckle.

Sharpener went back to cooking, chatting with Lime about unimportant things while Gohan stood off to the side, watching the guests. His eyes and ears were open for any disturbance, and he silently cursed himself.

_Dammit why does she have to be right all the time! I am paranoid…_

He glanced up towards the Satan Mansion just in time to see Videl emerge from the house, trailing a group of people. She was dressed in her normal white t-shirt, but everything else was different.

She had her hair pulled out of its normal pigtails, instead letting it flow free down her back to right in-between her shoulder blades. Her legs were bare, indicating she was wearing a swimsuit under the T-shirt, and her small feet were only adorned with a pair of flip-flops. But the thing that caught Gohan's attention was the goofy smile plastered on her face that was so uncharacteristic of her. He was shocked to say the least, that in that moment he found her to be beautiful. He shook his head, ridding his mind of the thought and reminding himself that she was a Satan.

The Raven haired girl wandered her way down to the pool-side and shuffled her way over to the grill to greet her blonde friend. Gohan stood off to the side, arms crossed and watching the rest of the party carefully, subtly watching Videl's progress.

Videl reached Sharpeners side of the grill and leaned up to give him a quick peck on the cheek, turning him a bright red.

"Thanks for cooking Sharpie! It's nice to give the cooks a break every now and then. They're all home with their families tonight."

The blonde smiled nervously and nodded, continuing his work. Lime stood slightly off to the side, giggling at his reaction to Videl's display of affection. Videl turned to the girl and slightly narrowed her eyes in concentration. She left a small smile on her face and extended her hand towards the girl.

"I'm sorry I don't think I know who you are. I'm Videl."

Lime smiled politely and took the other girls hand. Gohan watched the two interact from the corner of his eye, wary of what Videl would try to do when she found out that Lime was his friend.

"Ah the birthday girl! I figured it was you. Anyways I'm sorry, my name is Lime! I came with Gohan. He's my oldest friend, more like a brother really."

Videl's smile widened and one of her eyebrows quirked up. Gohan tensed unconsciously, preparing himself for the worst.

"So Gohan made it after all! Good, he needs to get out more to be completely honest with you."

Lime chuckled and waved her hand towards him absently and shooting him a significant look. He let out his breath that he had been holding and relaxed his tensed shoulders.

"I've been telling him the same thing for years, but the stone-head is more stubborn than a mountain. I ought to know, I live next to quite a few and they'll crumble easier than he will."

Gohan almost laughed out loud at that, realizing that her statement was completely true. He had taken hits from Freeza and Cell that would have turned any of the mountains in the 439 range into dust and survived.

"Speaking of, how long have you known Gohan? He mentioned that he didn't grow up around many people."

Lime nodded and clasped her hands together in front of her.

"Well I was ten when I met him. He's almost a full year older than I am so… Seven years now? I grew up in Chazke Villiage, which is relatively close to where Gohan grew up. Funny thing is that when I met him, he saved me from drowning and I called him a pervert because he grabbed me around the chest to help me out of the river I fell into."

Gohan turned his head to glare at her, his cheeks flushing a bright pink. She giggled and stuck her tongue out at him playfully and Videl cocked an eyebrow at him with a smirk as if she were saying "Really? You dog".

Gohan huffed and returned his gaze to the party, which was starting to get into full swing now. The football team finally got the sound system working and started playing music softly. Someone brought a cake out from the mansion and placed it on the table next to the punch, and Erasa popped up out of nowhere, microphone in hand and began speaking to the crowd in her bubbly voice. The music cut out and the crowd hushed to watch the bikini clad blonde.

"Hey you guys! If you don't know me, I'm Erasa, and today we're all here to celebrate the eighteenth birthday of our own Videl Satan!"

The teens all erupted into applause, and a couple catcalled, earning a blush from the Raven-haired teen. Gohan stood to back, smirking at the girl's discomfort.

"Well I don't know about you guys, but I say let's get this party popping! Before we do, let's go ahead and get in our birthday song! Someone go light up those candles, and Videl! Best go give it a good blow! You're legal now!"

The crowd laughed and Videl flipped her best friend the bird, but giggled and made her way over to the now lit cake. The group Clustered around the table, with the exception of Gohan and Sharpener, who was making sure he didn't burn anything, and sang her happy birthday. At the conclusion of the song, Videl took a deep breath and blew out the candles. One of the guys gave her another catcall, earning a collective laugh from the crowd. Gohan grimaced when he realized it was Corey.

"Alright Videl! Way to _blow_ girl!"

"Oh shove it, Erasa!"

The crowd burst out into laughter at the innuendos both of the girls threw at each other. The air seemed to buzz with energy, and Erasa glanced around excitedly.

"Alright all of you, now it's time to get it on! DJ!"

With that, the music returned, much louder than before and people started making their way around to the lawn serving as a dance floor or returning to the pool. Gohan stuck with Sharpener, chatting idly with the blonde and keeping his eyes on the crowd. He noticed that Lime was chatting again with Videl and wondered what they were saying. Erasa was back in the pool and talking animatedly to some of her girlfriends that Gohan had seen her gossip with in the halls before. A lot of people were out on the dance floor, acting a fool and enjoying their time.

A few minutes passed and Lime disappeared with Videl into the Mansion. Gohan caught a part of their conversation and determined that Videl was getting Lime a swimsuit to wear. He grimaced, thinking about how he would have to scare off the guys that made advances on her. Sharpener noticed his look and poked him with the spatula, earning a glare.

"Whoa, easy man. Just wondering what's up is all."

Gohan dropped his gaze to the fire and crossed his arms.

"I'm extremely protective of those I care about, and Lime is like a sister to me. I don't look forward to having to scare away possible dick boyfriends."

Sharpener chuckled and flipped a burger.

"Just out of curiosity, do I fall under that category?"

"Try it and I might rip your testicles out through your throat."

It wasn't a real threat, but Sharpener blanched nonetheless. He stared at Gohan in disbelief and shook his head.

"Damn I'm glad that Erasa convinced me to get on your good side. I'm worried what you would have said if you were serious."

Gohan chuckled and returned his watchful eye towards the mansion. The two girls emerged, and his jaw nearly dropped. He had seen Lime in various states of undress before, the most revealing being the times they had gone swimming out by the lake. But the young woman standing next to her completely caught him off guard.

He had expected her to be fit and toned, there was no way she couldn't be with all the fighting she did. But the two piece blue bikini she was wearing revealed all of her splendid figure. The long legs, the gentle curve of her hips and breasts and her flat, toned abdomen sparked a desire in him he hadn't ever felt before. The scars of her fights, including the still pink scar of the gunshot wound on her left shoulder told a story, much like his own scars. It gave her character. Made her look tough. Fierce. _Sexy._

Yes that was the only way he could really describe her, and he noticed he wasn't the only one who believed so. Most of the male population had turned their attention to the two girls as they made their way to the pool. Gohan dismissed his own unsteady feelings and took mental notes of who was staring at his adopted sister, instantly marking the jocks as off-limits.

The two girls jumped into the pool and the party resumed. Gohan noticed that Sharpener was glancing at the pool every few seconds while still cooking and Gohan sighed in resignation.

"Go ahead and go man, I'll watch the grill. Promise, I won't let anything burn."

Sharpener grinned in thanks and handed him the spatula before sprinting off and diving into the pool after the two girls. Gohan tended the grill for a while, dishing out burgers here and there and sipping on a cup of punch. He watched the party progress into the night. There was a game of chicken going on in the pool, which resulted in Lime and Sharpener facing off against Videl and Corey, who had immediately stripped down to nothing but shorts as soon as Videl had emerged from the house. The dance floor got crowded with students as the music pumped into the night, and still Gohan couldn't find it in himself to relax.

Soon enough, the grill died down and the punch needed a refill. Gohan watched some of the football players refill the punch as he doused the flames, and witnessed one of them dump a couple bottles of what he guessed was vodka into the large bowl. He snorted, halfway applauding the accuracy of his guess from two weeks prior. He watched as several students got their punch and drank it without realizing it was spiked. He considered saying something, but decided that it wasn't necessary. He could assist anyone who unwittingly drank too much.

Sharpener emerged from the crowd, drink in hand and trailing lime right behind him in her borrowed green bikini. The blonde made his way over to his black-haired friend and handed him a cup of the drink. Gohan took it and peered into it critically. His sensitive nose picked up the tinge of alcohol immediately, but he realized there wasn't enough for it to be noticeable by human standards.

Lime took a swig of the drink and, noticing her best friends look, laid a hand on his arm affectionately, a concerned look on her face.

"What's wrong Gohan?"

He raised an eyebrow at her and indicated the cup in his hand.

"Nothing is really wrong, but the punch is spiked. It doesn't affect me all that much, but you on the other hand…"

She raised her eyebrows and stared at the cup in her hand. She wrinkled her nose and handed it off to her adopted brother.

"I couldn't even taste it. That's pretty dangerous isn't it?"

She glanced over at Sharpener, who just shrugged it off and drank from his cup.

"I'm staying the night here, so it's no big deal to me. I've got a guest room in the mansion, same as Erasa. I'm sure if you asked Gohan, there could be one for you too. You're part of our little gang now you know."

Gohan smiled and raised his cup to him in silent toast. The two young men tapped their cups together and in one move, downed the drink. Gohan felt a slight tingle that quickly faded into nothingness again.

_Gotta love the Saiyan metabolism. Too bad it would take more than those two bottles combined to get me in a drunken state._

Lime accompanied Sharpener back over to the table for more drinks, and Gohan sipped on the cup Lime had given him thoughtfully. He really did enjoy the taste of the punch, and the extra zing of the alcohol gave it a nice kick. He resumed his watch on the party, noticing Videl head down to the dance floor, cup in hand. He wrestled the beast in his stomach that reared its head at him again and he averted his eyes from her form as she walked away from him.

_Stupid hormones._

More time passed, and the punch was flowing strong. The music kept pumping on until it was already after eleven at night, and the party was starting to die down. People started leaving in twos and threes, and in different stages of inebriation. Gohan had gone through several cups of punch and was wearing a slightly less serious scowl than normal. He watched Lime and Sharpener dance for a while, chuckling at how drunk the blonde was getting without realizing it. Then he noticed it out of the corner of his eye.

There was Corey, filling two cups of punch again, with two of his buddies behind him with stupid smiles on their faces. Corey turned to one of them slightly and took something from his hand and quickly turned to the hidden cups, looking around him to see if anyone was watching. Gohan furrowed his brow, glaring down the quarterback.

The boy didn't even notice and picked up the drinks, making his way to the dance floor and a slightly drunk Videl. Her cheeks were flushed and she was a little winded from dancing, and accepted his offered drink with a nod and a smile. She drank deeply from the cup and handed it back to Corey, who set them off to the side of the dance floor. Gohan crossed his arms and waited.

Sure enough, not even ten minutes later, the raven-haired beauty staggered a bit and clutched her head, a puzzled glare on her face as she tried to focus. Gohan saw Corey's two jock buddies grin and give the quarterback a thumbs up behind Videl's back.

_Those sick little FUCKS!_

Gohan cracked his knuckles and removed his button up shirt, rolling his shoulders and revealing a tight-fitting white t-shirt that had a hard time containing his muscular frame. He balled the shirt up and began making his way towards the dance floor, dropping it next to the grill. He watched as Videl struggled to remain standing and fell forward into the waiting arms of Corey. Erasa and Sharpener noticed their friend's struggles, snapping them into a state of relative sobriety. Lime spun around to watch the proceedings, a confused expression etched on her face.

As he approached, he heard the quiet murmuring of Videl and Erasa's incoherent babbling as she worried about her friend.

"Don't worry Erasa, I got her! C'mon Videl let's get you to bed."

Gohan arrived right in front of him as he wrapped a hand around her waist and started to attempt to move her to the mansion.

"No, you stay out here. Sharpener, Erasa, get Videl to her room."

His voice was edged like a blade that cut through the music and the crowd around them instantly silenced. Lime edged into Gohan's view, glancing worriedly between Gohan and Corey. The jock cocked an eyebrow and smiled innocently at the dark haired teen in front of him.

"Hey what's the big deal man, I'm just returning her to her room. Stand aside, she needs to go to bed."

He crossed his arms and set his face into a hard glare. Sharpener and Erasa visibly stiffened and paled, and Lime's eyes shot wide open. The jock didn't notice however, whether because he was too dumb to realize he'd been caught, or because he was drunk, Gohan couldn't tell. Corey unwrapped his arm from Videl's waist and nudged her towards Erasa, who let out a small 'Eep' and caught her friend before she hit the ground, collapsing with her head in the blondes lap, a dazed and distant expression on her face.

"Alright tough guy, you think you can just come out here and give me commands huh? Bring it nerd!"

He raised his arms up at his sides in challenge, staring hard at the man across from him. Gohan glanced down at Videl's still mumbling form, and glared hard at the jock, arms still crossed in front of his chest.

"You and your two shithead friends over there, leave now."

The two Jocks that were moving up behind Gohan flinched and gaped at each other before turning tail and leaving their friend behind. Corey watched them leave with a ferocious snarl. He lunged forward, swinging his right fist wide through the air and connecting with Gohans jaw. Gohan's head snapped to the right and he stared hard at the ground next to the crowd of people that collectively gasped at what had just happened. The jock took a step back and glared at his bruised knuckles, and back to Gohan with disbelief. Lime looked up from her position next to Videl in time to see him snap. She watched as his eyes widened slightly and flashed teal for a moment. She watched horrified as a look crossed her adopted brother's face that she hadn't seen in years. Pure, unadulterated rage. She felt her veins run cold and her heart seemed to stop beating altogether.

"Gohan?"

Her cautious question fell on deaf ears. Inside Gohan's head was a raging inferno of hatred. Hatred he rarely allowed to take control of him. He slowly righted his head and returned his gaze to the now terrified looking boy in front of him.

_Now he chooses to back out. Too late._

His self restraint waned quickly, and he lunged forward, driving his right fist into the bottom of the boys sternum hard. He felt with a grim satisfaction as the ribs broke and he caved in his chest. He didn't hit him hard enough to kill him, but it was a brutal attack regardless. His ears rang, making him deaf to the collective screams of the people as they watched the boy collapse backwards, clutching his chest and screaming in agony. His vision narrowed until all he could see was the boy in front of him. He casually walked over and planted his foot across his throat and stared down at his victim, reveling in his fear and anguish.

All in an instant, it vanished. He felt a tug on his arm and looked down to see the horrified face of Lime staring up at him, eyes shimmering with tears. His hearing snapped back into place to hear the dead silence of the remaining students and muffled gasps and whimpers of the boy under his foot. Lime's voice cut into his mind, quiet and laced with fear and worry.

"Gohan. Please don't. He's learned his lesson, don't do any more damage than you already have. Please, I can't stand to see you like this! Come back! Control it!"

He returned his hate-filled glare to the boy a moment and watched his eyes start to fade as unconsciousness crept up on him. He returned his gaze to his adopted sister and stared at her a second. A single tear slipped from the corner of her eye, and his resolve snapped like a cord pulled too tight. He felt fear wash over him, along with guilt and his ever familiar self-loathing.

_Oh Kami. What have I done?_

He glanced down at the now unconscious jock and quickly removed his foot, staggering backwards and away from the stunned crowd. His breath was coming in short now. He looked at the wide-eyed stares of the crowd and glanced over to see his two blonde friends with a look akin to utter fear on their faces.

His stomach plummeted. He knew he shouldnt have come. He was a danger to everyone when he lost it like that. He looked back at Lime, his expression one of despair and fear.

"Lime I… He… I'm sorry!"

With that he turned on his heel and sprinted off towards the front gate in a desperate attempt to get away from the horror he caused.

"Gohan! Sharpener, help Erasa get Videl to her room. She's been drugged by this idiot. Someone call an ambulance and get him out of here."

Sharpeners face hardened and he stared incredulously at the unconscious jock. He recovered quickly from his shock and anger was quick to replace it. He turned slowly to the rest of the crowd and growled out the first thing that came to mind.

"He tried to jump off the house into the pool and hit the pavement didn't he?"

The crowd started at the tone of his voice and nodded at him, wide-eyed. He then rushed over to Videl's side and picked her up bridal style. The raven haired girl's head lolled to the side, her eyes not really focused on anything. He cradled her close to his chest and followed Erasa up to the mansion. Lime watched them leave and turned back to the still silent crowd.

"I'm telling you this now, all of you, do not mention this to Gohan ever. Do you understand me? He's been through so much, and he has a violent side to him that comes out whenever someone hurts those he cares about. Don't be afraid of him, but please do not say or do anything to upset him. He tries so hard to just fit in and be normal, so please try not to mention it at all around school okay? He doesn't need the attention."

They all just stared at her wide-eyed, wondering who this girl was that claimed to know so much about the new guy. One of the braver students nodded his head and pulled out his phone, dialing on it quickly.

"Yes, I wanted to report an injury and request an ambulance? Yea Satan manor, this guy tried to jump off the roof into the pool and broke his ribs. Yes. Thank you."

The rest of the students looked at him quizzically. He glanced around and indicated the unconscious teen.

"He roofied Videl! I don't care who you are, that's fucked up, and Gohan did the right thing here."

He looked back at Lime who's expression could only be described as pure gratitude.

"Go after him, make sure he's alright? We'll take care of this mess."

Lime nodded in thanks and took off after her best friend.

***LATER THAT NIGHT – SATAN MANOR***

Sharpener and Erasa sat across from Lime, who looked thoroughly defeated and depressed. She had dressed quickly and chased after Gohan, hoping to catch him before he did something dumb. But her search was fruitless, and she returned after almost an hour of searching with a worried expression. It was now almost one in the morning and Lime was getting more and more worried about him.

"Are you sure there is nowhere else in town he would go?"

Lime glanced up at Erasa, who had sobered up considerably and was now looking nearly as worried as the girl across from her.

_ Not in this town, but then these guys don't know how quickly he can get around… For all I know, he's half-way around the world right now and trying to kill himself again._

She felt her eyes burn at the thought and returned her worried gaze to the palms of her hands.

"No, there's nowhere else in town I can think of. I already tried all the places he normally visits."

They sat in silence for a while, none of them sure what to input to the conversation. Sharpener sighed and looked at Lime, his expression as serious as he could make it.

"Lime, what happened to Gohan? It's obvious to us that he's seen some shit, and I swear to Kami when he gets angry I almost feel like offing myself before he gets the chance. What did this to him?"

Lime started at the question and stared at the blonde. Erasas head shot up and she began paying attention to everything. Lime glared at her hands thoughtfully.

_How much can I tell them? They are his friends right? Oh but if I say too much what will he do? Crap what do I tell them?_

"If you can't tell us exactly could you atleast explain why he's this way? We don't want to upset him any more than he already has been."

She closed her eyes and drew her legs up so that her knees were under her chin and wrapped her arms around them. She looked between the two of them, deciding then and there that they deserved to know at least that much.

"I won't give you details without his consent. But there was a… well a fight a few years back, right after I met Gohan, and he lost someone who he cared for more than anyone else in the world. But he blamed himself for it, believing it was his fault."

She paused to take a deep breath, noticing Erasa had covered her mouth with her hand and was leaking tears, and Sharpeners face had set into a grimace.

"He doesn't admit it, but I know him well enough to know he still blames himself to this day. But he moved on. There was another fight just a couple years ago where he completely lost his composure, and he's been worried since then that he would hurt people unnecessarily. He's one of the gentlest people I know, but he's been forced to fight and survive since he was just a child, long before I knew him. He is a true warrior through and through. But please keep all of this between us alright? Don't even tell Gohan that you know. He'll open up to you in time, trust me. It's just hard to break through to him."

Sharpener nodded his head in consent and stared at his fists, lost in his own thoughts. Erasa was still in a state of shock and crying quietly, but she nodded as well. Lime went back to staring at her hands.

A quiet knock shook them all from their respective thoughts and Lime quickly got up to go check the door. She opened it to reveal a very distraught and worn out looking Gohan, still dressed in his jeans and T-shirt. Her eyes widened and she thrust the door open, lunging forward and pulling him into a rough hug. Sharpener took it as his cue to leave and got up, taking Erasa with him to go get some sleep.

Gohan hesitantly pulled Lime off of him and stared down at the floor between them, his face still a mask of fear.

"Lime, I-"

She pressed a finger to his lips and shushed him.

"Gohan, not now. Come on, there's a guest room set up for you here."

Before he could say no, she dragged him off through the mansion, arriving at the room Erasa had set aside for him earlier. She sat him on his bed and forced him to lay back onto the pillows. He didn't fight her, instead just choosing to let her guide his motions. She lay next to him, and they both gazed up at the ceiling, stuck in their own thoughts.

"Where did you go?"

It wasn't the harsh, demanding question he had expected. He expected her to be ashamed of his actions, just as he was. He had thought he could control his anger now. But there was no trace of shame in her voice. Instead it was soft. Pleading.

"The site of my fight with Broly. The same place I first lost control of myself."

She glanced over at him to see his eyes were beginning to water. She waited a moment, hoping he would continue and open up to her. When he didn't she knew she would have to pry.

"Gohan, you didn't do anything wrong today. You saved Videl from a horrifying experience."

He swallowed past the lump in his throat and covered his face with both hands. He sniffed a bit and continued.

"No lime, I almost killed him. I didn't need to go that far, I could have easily just picked him up and walked him out, but I shattered his ribcage. Now everyone is going to think i'm a freak!"

She rolled onto her side and propped herself up on one arm, pulling his hands away from his face gently. She was shocked to see streaks running down his cheeks from the tears he was so rare to shed.

"What if you hadn't stopped me when you did? What if I just went super and blew everyone up? I could have killed everyone there, including you. Sharpener and Erasa? Oh Kami did you see their faces? They're terrified of me!"

With that he just let go. It was one of the rare moments where Lime witnessed the scared child that still rested within him came forth. She pulled him over so that his head was resting on her shoulder and just let him cry. She stroked his hair and waited, fighting the burning in her own eyes.

"Gohan, you're not alone anymore. Sharpener and Erasa, they don't fear you, they respect you. They are still your friends, and I guarantee that Videl will be grateful when she wakes up too. You've got to stop beating yourself up for things that didn't happen! Please, just accept my word this time. You did the right thing, and have nothing to be ashamed of."

He didn't respond, but clutched the fabric of her shirt hard and continued to let his agony wash from him. She stayed there with him until his breathing steadied and he fell asleep. Gently untangling herself from his grasp, she leaned in, just like she had done those years ago on the lookout and kissed him gently on the cheek, before leaving him in his slumber to return to her own room.

**A/N: This one also came out a bit longer than I anticipated. But anyways, I hope you liked this little story about how things are progressing with Gohan and his high school relationships. I know I skipped a lot of time in there, but hey, I can't write about EVERY day or it would be boring huh? Stay tuned for the next one! Might take a while to get it up, but it's gonna be there, don't worry.**


	12. From the Ashes

**Hey all! I'm dreadfully sorry I took so long to get this one posted. Only one more week of this crazy schedule i'm on and i'll be able to work on this story more often! Hang in there!**

**Thank's all for the reviews of the last chapter, all of your views on Gohan's behavior got me thinking about how to approach this next chapter. Lots of good information and insight in this one, so on to the story! R&R, and enjoy!**

**Chapter 12: From the ashes**

***EARLY THE MORNING AFTER THE PARTY – SATAN MANSION***

Gohan wandered through the Satan Mansion, taking in the details and absently storing his observations away at the back of his head. He hadn't slept well, his dreams plagued with visions of him destroying those that he had sworn to protect, only to be replaced by the words Lime had said to him the night before.

_You've got to stop beating yourself up for things that didn't happen!_

His mind was in a state of war with itself. On one side, he knew that Lime was right, and he was doing nobody any good to be continuously second-guessing himself. But on the other, he was always so sure that he could have done better. He strived so hard to live up to his father's image, but he always thought that he fell short, despite all of his friends and families assurances to the contrary.

In the end, he decided that he would indeed accept Lime's judgment that he had not acted dishonorably. He shuddered to think what would have happened to Videl had he not stepped in and intervened. He replayed the events of the night before, and was surprised to find himself worrying about the raven haired girl. He had formed a bond of sorts with the blondes over the last three weeks, but he had tried to push the Satan girl away. So then why did he care for her like she was his friend? He frowned and stared at the ground without really seeing where he was going.

_You know Gohan, just because she's Hercules daughter doesn't mean she is going to be like him._

His scowl deepened at the thought, and he noticed a painting of Hercule standing in a wide stance with his championship belt over his shoulder and his hand held in a victory sign in the air with a smug smirk on his face. He guessed from the date on it that it was done immediately after he had won his second tournament.

_Well that's certainly a true statement from everything that I've seen. She's selfless and puts her life on the line to help those in need, while her old man just took the credit of killing Cell. Dammit this doesn't make any sense! Why should I care how she behaves?_

He grunted and quickened his pace, walking past a kitchen. Nobody was up in the house yet, and he was awake well before the sun was up. He was exhausted, but he could not calm his mind. Why was she such a dilemma to him?

_She might actually want to be your friend you know._

Limes words rang in his head and he halted his brisk walk. He looked about and realized he was back outside his door somehow, and glanced across the hall to where Lime was sleeping, her Ki a calming glow. He ran a hand through his hair and decided to sit against the wall across from her door. He knew sleep would elude him if he tried to return to bed. He sighed and closed his eyes, leaning his head back against the cool drywall.

_Friends._

The one thing he had told himself over and over he would not be able to see the Satan girl as. He wanted to hate her, just because of who she was, but it seemed it was not to be. He found himself admiring her. She was bright, strong, truly good at heart, and she wasn't a pig-heated showboat, often putting the lives of others above her own when it would have been easier to just forget them; all the characteristics he valued in a person.

_She could be a friend, and a very good one at that. But how could I be hers after everything I have put her through?_

He felt a lump rise in his throat and guilt burned in his gut. He had truly been horrible to her, sending her through a roller-coaster of fear and confusion. He had helped her out while crime-fighting, but not as Gohan, and not because she was his friend. Every time he had rationalized that she couldn't handle it, and that she didn't deserve the assured outcome, so he stepped in as Bardock.

_Just like last night. I couldn't stand by and let that prick have his way with her! But then I would have done that for any person in her shoes._

But even if the girl had known everything, he did not see how she could forgive his actions over the past three weeks. He stared at his hands, propped up on his knees, and contemplated what he had to do.

_I have apologies to make. _

***A COUPLE HOURS LATER – VIDEL'S ROOM***

Videl slowly broke out of the dull grogginess that was her mind into consciousness. Everything on her body seemed to ache, and her tongue felt like it was several sizes too large. She opened her eyes slowly, nearly crying out and slamming them shut against the early morning sun. She rolled away from her window and the offending ball of fire and tried again. Things came in as a blurry, confused mess, and she slowly blinked, trying to make sense of it all.

_Okay. I'm in my room. It's morning time, and I feel like ten pounds of shit in a five pound bag._

She grimaced and attempted to push herself up, wincing as her left shoulder ached under the strain. She glanced down and noticed that she was only dressed in a blue bikini.

_What in the…?_

She racked her brain, trying to pull memories of what had happened the previous night. She remembered that she was eighteen now, and she was having her birthday party. She remembered spending a lot of time talking to Gohan's friend, or "sister" as she preferred to refer to herself as. She was quite a character, and Videl had taken an immediate liking to her.

_Probably should have asked a bit more about Gohan from her. It just completely slipped my mind when we started talking._

She held a hand to her head and closed her eyes, trying to remember the rest. There was the cake, the food, and Gohan standing in the back of everything looking like a body-guard. Then Sharpener and Corey playing chicken with Lime and her, then what? Punch? Yes she was sure that there was punch after that, and dancing. Everything seemed to start to get fuzzy at that point. She furrowed her brow and thought.

_Oh they didn't! I told them no alcohol!_

"Those little….!"

_Wait… What was after that? I was dancing with Corey and… And what? What the hell happened after that?_

She started to panic a little, worried that she had done something she vowed to wait for. She threw her covers off herself and was slightly relieved to see the bikini bottom was still securely fastened around her. She pulled the sheets down around her, looking for any signs that anything had happened, and almost jumped out of her skin when the door crashed open and Erasa burst into the room.

"Videl! You're awake finally! Gohan said he heard you yell something! Kami you had me worried sick!"

Videl just stared at the wall in shock as Erasa jumped forward and grabbed onto her in a firm hug. She glanced towards the door to see Gohan in the hall looking in at the scene with… Was that relief on his face? She suddenly remembered her near nakedness and wondered what the hell he was doing in her house in the first place. Before she could determine what it was she saw, he went back to his usual neutral expression and left the doorway, his footsteps echoing in the hall.

Erasa pulled back and, noticing her friend's glare at the door, turned to look as well. Videl was about to ask Erasa what why the boy was there, but the blonde cut her off.

"Videl do you remember what happened last night? At all?"

She turned back to the raven haired teen with an air of worry and cautious eyes. Videl dropped her gaze, her mind pulled back from the onyx eyed teen to her musings of just moments earlier.

"I can remember up to dancing with Corey, but after that? I don't know."

She felt panic and fear start to crawl up from the pit of her stomach and she gripped onto her blankets hard, staring at her friend, pleading for her to explain.

"I didn't… Me and Corey… We didn't…? I can't remember what happened."

Erasa grabbed onto her friends hands, still clutched on her blankets, and said the three sweetest sounding words that filled Videl with the most amazing relief.

"No, you didn't… But not for a lack of effort on his part, I'll tell you that much."

Videl felt her worry get replaced with disgust, and he face contorted to a grimace that reflected it all too well.

_Typical boy, I swear to Kami there isn't a single decent one out there. I bet he was the one who brought the alcohol. But why wouldn't I have been able to remember any advances on his part? I mean yea sure there was the dancing, but that was all harmless, and he wasn't being a total prick. I mean shit he was making sure I had a good time, which is more than I can say for _some _of the people who were there._

She focused her eyes back on Erasa, who was chewing her bottom lip. Worry came back to her, though not as harsh as before. Her friend looked scared.

"Erasa? Wh-"

"Videl please listen to me, this is all going to sound strange, but it's all the truth."

Videl snorted, remembering their conversation only two weeks before in this exact place.

"Well, I don't really know how to say it, so I'm just going to. Corey drugged you last night; spiked your drink with roofies or something like that, that's why you can't remember anything. None of us realized it until he tried to make his move. Sharpener says Gohan saw someone spike the punch, and I was drunk."

The blonde flushed with embarrassment and stared at her hands. Videl's stomach had dropped through the floor when she heard what Corey had done, only to have her outrage and feelings of betrayal bash through.

"That son of a _bitch!_ He drugged me?! And Gohan? What the fuck, he knew about the punch and he didn't stop us? Why, when I get my hands on the two of them-"

"Videl! Stop, please, don't finish that sentence! You don't even know what happened yet!"

"Yes I do, you just told me! Between those two shitheads, I was drunk, drugged, and apparently almost raped! I swear I'm going to kill them both!"

She made to get up and leave the room, and was shocked into freezing when Erasa slapped her sharp across the cheek, glaring at her with the most heated expression Videl had ever seen cross her face. She sat back, her mouth hanging wide open at her friend's actions.

"Videl, you're going to listen to me, because you need to hear this! I've already talked to Gohan about why he didn't say anything, and it's because he was watching over everyone to make sure that nothing bad happened! He was sober last night, and a lot of people got back home safely thanks to his being there so don't even go there!"

Videl shut her mouth and crossed her arms, returning her eyes to the covers. She still wanted to be mad at the boy for not saying anything, but didn't pose a counter-argument. Erasa sighed and composed her face back into a serious expression.

"More than that, he was the one who noticed what was happening to you. _He _was the one who stepped up to Corey and defended you. _He _was the one who saved you from that pig while I just stood there and watched."

Videl's feelings scrambled together all at once, and her mind went numb. Gohan had saved her, when her best friends had done nothing.

"Videl he completely lost it when he tried to take you to bed. Corey hit him and Gohan just let it happen. He just stood there and then he was gone, he just exploded and he wasn't calm and reserved Gohan anymore. He punched Corey right in the chest, and we all heard his ribs break. It was so scary seeing him lose control like that, and the only reason he didn't kill him was because Lime talked to him."

Her eyes unfocused as she spoke, and Videl felt a strange combination of admiration and fear settle in her stomach. Gohan had fought for her? Not only that, he had lost control of himself? That was the sort of thing she had only seen in movies where the good guy found a final burst of power to finish of the bad guy, saving the day and rescuing the damsel in distress.

_Why? How? Broke his rib cage? Kami how much do I not know about him? Could he really be that strong?_

"Erasa… What happened after that? What did he do?"

It wasn't a harsh question, nor did she sound nervous about what the answer would be. It was one of genuine concern. She had after all been trying to figure out the new boy, but until this morning, she had seen no look on his face for her besides total contempt, or his usual smirk when he was messing with her. Erasa stared at her a second and then dropped her eyes, her expression full of sorrow.

"When Lime talked to him, he sorta… I dunno he came back. That's the only way I can describe it. He looked so scared when he realized what he was doing, and he just… Ran. I don't know where to, but Lime went after him while Sharpie and I brought you here. Lime gave up and came back here and we talked a little bit… About Gohan."

Videl set her jaw and stared at her friend hard, begging her to continue. Erasa swallowed past the lump in her throat and continued, her voice thick with emotion.

"We didn't even get the whole story, but Lime says he's been fighting his whole life just to survive. He lost someone he loved years ago and blamed himself for it! Lime says he still does it, and I can only imagine what it feels like. She said that he lost control real bad a couple years ago and almost killed her in the process, or something like that, and since then he's been afraid to let go like that. Girl I think there's lots more to him than either of us had imagined."

Videl felt her admiration for the boy shoot through the roof. It all fit, and she had no doubts as to whether or not it was all true. The scar across the face, the large physique, even the confident swagger he always kept when he walked all fit into what she said. He looked and acted the part of a warrior.

"Erasa?"

The blonde blinked a couple times, clearing the tears from her eyes and returning her attention to the raven haired girl.

"What happened with Corey? If Gohan hurt him as bad as you say, then he needed to go to the hospital. And what about Gohan? The police would have tried to arrest him if they had learned that he was the one who did it."

Her voice was concerned and quiet, and Erasa was elated to see that her friend was worried about the tall onyx eyed teen. She smiled a little and let out a short chuckle.

"The whole party told the medics that Corey had tried to jump into the pool off the roof of the house and hit the pavement instead. That's no better than what he deserves if you ask me."

Videl raised an eyebrow at her blonde friend. It wasn't like her to wish harm on other people, though she could easily understand why she would in this case. After all, she whole-heartedly agreed with her.

_Actually, I kinda wish Gohan had finished it. Like Bardock said, removing the problem at the source right?_

At the thought of the masked super-hero, she smirked. Her suspicions about Gohan being the masked man had jumped to near positive.

"But Videl, one last thing. About Gohan? Lime says that he's… unstable when it comes to his past. She practically begged the class to never mention what happened last night, and I think that it would be a good idea to not ask about his past. At least not yet. Lime seems to know everything, but she won't tell us without his permission. Just… Please don't dig at him for it? He's always so confident and strong, but as soon as someone breaks past it and pulls something out of him, he seems so lost and fragile. I think we need to just… Be friends with him, and support him. Lime said this morning she'll be coming to school with us now, so she can help keep an eye on him."

Videl listened intently, wondering about the dilemma the information brought her. She wanted to know what had happened to him, if nothing else to get to know him. She wanted to figure him out, and now she knew that he was indeed more complicated than he appeared. In the back of her mind, she also wanted to be his friend. She admired who he was, and what he must have gone through at such a young age. Maybe the two of them could get past whatever there was between them and become friends?

_I bet he doesn't even want to be friends. He hasn't displayed any desire to be my friend before, so why would he change that now? But then, he did save me last night from being raped. I need to talk to him, I have to thank him at least for that._

She nodded to her blonde friend, resigning her suspicions and desire to learn about the boy until later. If one person could get in so deep as to know everything about him like Lime had, then there was no reason that she couldn't at least make the attempt to do the same.

"Alright girl, well let's get you dressed and fed, I'm sure you need it after that ordeal last night."

***IN THE KITCHEN – 10 MINUTES LATER***

Lime sat across from her best friend, who was staring at his hands clasped on the table with a tired and confused expression. She knew he hadn't gotten much sleep last night, but was glad that he had run off earlier to check on Videl. She was holding a cup of coffee between her hands, and thinking of ways to help guide him through his thoughts.

"Look Gohan, you need to talk to her one-on-one. I know what you're feeling about facing her after these last few weeks, and you certainly should. You should feel bad about it because honestly, you deserve it!"

Gohan glanced at her quickly before glaring back at his hands, but he didn't say anything to defend himself. Lime took a sip of her coffee and set the cup down.

"But believe me, once you get it out of the way and start over, you'll feel loads better about it. I think she's a great girl, and I've only known her for one day. Don't be afraid of her, just be honest and she'll forgive you."

She reached over and grasped his big hands in hers, giving them a reassuring squeeze. His expression softened a bit and he squeezed back gently. He looked at her, catching her gaze with his sorrowful expression.

"Lime, I just want to apologize. For everything. I know you're right, you've always been right. Every step of the way since dad left, you've been there for me, telling me what I needed to hear, but didn't want to. And I never listened to you. I'm sorry."

She wanted to tell him that he had nothing to be sorry about, but felt her stomach jump with elation regardless. Knowing that he was needing to let his apology out, she decided not to say anything. Instead she smiled brightly at him and made her way around the table to hug him.

_After all these years, he is finally accepting this! _

He welcomed the gesture with open arms, returning it in kind. Gohan truly relaxed, for the first time in a long shoulders slouched and he just held the girl in front of him, reveling in her warmth and comfort that she offered him. Lime turned her head and kissed him firmly on the cheek, and pulled out of the hug, her face lit up with her smile.

"Gohan, you know that no matter what, I love you right? You truly are the best big brother I never had."

Gohan felt his smile widen at her words. In all their years, he had considered her a sister, and loved her as much as he did the twins. But they had never actually spoken the words before. Hearing them out loud solidified his feelings into something that he could feel firm in his chest. Too overcome with emotion, he just smiled and nodded, blinking away the tears that threatened to come forth. Lime pulled him back into a hug, knowing that he reciprocated her feelings regardless of whether or not he said it out loud.

"Ahem… Is this a… bad time?"

Gohan jerked his head towards the entrance to the kitchen, and Lime pulled back from the hug sharply. There in the doorway was a very hung-over looking Videl with the most curious expression of nervousness on her face. Behind the raven haired girl, Erasa waved towards Lime, motioning for her to go towards her. Lime caught the meaning of her gestures and turned back towards Gohan.

"I have to go Gohan, girl talk kay? I'll see you in a few."

He merely nodded and returned his attention to the table in front of him, his expression as neutral as ever. He clasped his hands together and twiddled his thumbs. Lime turned and walked by Videl and placing a reassuring hand on her shoulder. She gave her a significant look that said "good luck", and disappeared into the hallway with the blonde girl.

Videl stared after them for a moment before returning her attention to the other occupant of the kitchen.

_Well… What do I do now? He's just sitting there… Do I talk to him? Or wait for him to speak?_

She waited a moment for him to say something. When he didn't, she decided she should make the first move. Mustering her courage, she walked forward slowly, her bare feet padding silently on the tile floor as she took the seat opposite him. He looked up from his hands and locked eyes as she sat across from him. For the first time since he met her, he really looked at her proper.

_Those eyes… How could I have not noticed how beautiful her eyes were before? Just another thing I missed about her when I was too busy ignoring her._

He averted his eyes, looking back down at his hands, feeling guilt wash over him again. Videl watched him carefully, trying to decipher the emotions she saw in his eyes that never reached the rest of his face. She knew he was struggling to say something. She took a deep breath, closing her eyes and steeling herself for the conversation she was about to dive into.

"Gohan I-"

"Look Videl-"

They both started and blinked at each other for a few seconds, neither trying to over-ride the other. Videl laughed nervously and Gohan gave her a weak smile that didn't quite reach his onyx orbs.

_Man something is really bugging him still. Is he worried about what he did last night? He shouldn't be, he saved my ass... quite literally._

"Gohan, before you continue, I wanted to thank you for what you did for me last night."

She stared into his eyes, watching for his reaction and was surprised to see he looked sad at her comment.

_Man, try to thank him and he gets depressed?... What now?_

Still unsure of what to say, she continued, thinking that maybe he should hear from her own lips why she was grateful to him, and that he shouldn't be ashamed of his actions. Maybe he just needed a reassurance?

"I just want you to know, I don't hold it against you… What you did to Corey? Had I been… coherent during that time, I would have likely done the same… Or tried to. At the end of the day, you did the right thing for me, and I owe you one. A big one actually. My virginity is something I treasure, and I'm glad that you didn't let some low-life steal it from me."

She blushed towards the end of her speech, and glanced nervously towards the counter. It was no secret that she was still a virgin, what with her father's "rule", but she never really spoke openly about anything sexual at all, much less to someone such as Gohan. But seeing as he was the one who had preserved it, she felt that she should tell him so.

He continued to stare at her, considering for a few seconds. His expression hardened just a little, and he averted his eyes, looking at his hands again. Her thanks felt undeserved to him, as his actions hadn't really been out of concern for the girl so much as wanting to make Corey pay. He would have done it, regardless of who it was that was at the receiving end of his plots. Add on top of that how he had treated her...

He sighed and looked back up at Videl, who was still watching him intently. He felt in his heart that this conversation would not end well, and he would have to live with the shame of his actions towards the girl in front of him. He steeled himself and straightened, looking at her fully so that he could get his intent across.

"Videl, I'm not a very sociable person, as I'm sure you noticed since you met me. I take to some people better than others, and I admit that you in particular did not sit well with me."

He paused, gauging her reaction to his statements. To his surprise, she just listened intently, not showing any signs of outrage. Her focus steeled his resolve, and he continued.

"I'm sure that you noticed, I don't let many people into my life, and I prefer it that way. Erasa and Sharpener have, in their own ways, found a way to like me somehow, and I admit I reciprocate their feelings. Lime and I have been close for seven years. Those relationships were easy. You have not been easy for me to deal with. You're so unlike what I ever anticipated, and you confuse me when I think I've figured you out."

He noticed that her expression had shifted so that she was again staring at the counter, confusion etched across her features.

"What I'm trying to say is… I assumed when I heard who you were, that you were going to be some snotty stuck-up celebrity that used their name to get what they wanted. I assumed you would be the type of person I hate, due to your father, and you proved me wrong over and over again. It drove me nuts, and I had an epiphany last night. It's because I judged you without even bothering to get to know you first. And for that, I am truly sorry. There's no excuse I can give you for the way I've treated you these last three weeks, and I don't expect you to forgive me. But I want you to know that I wish I could take it all back and start over."

He halted his speech, waiting patiently for the girl to respond. For a long while, she just stared at the counter, her eyes darting back and forward like she was reading something in her mind, trying to understand something. His nerves began to get to him, and he found himself wishing he were anywhere else but there.

_Well say something! Just tell me that I can go shove it and get it over with._

As if on command she returned her hard gaze to his own. Her expression was serious, and he felt his stomach tighten even more.

"Gohan…"

She paused for a second, leaving him in suspense. The corners of her lips curled upwards into a small smile, and she continued.

"Of course I forgive you, and I would actually like to start over as well."

He just stared at her incredulously. He blinked a few times and then released the breath he hadn't realized he had been holding. His stomach did a backflip and his shoulders relaxed with relief, but his mind was still going a million miles an hour.

_Wait just like that? You've got to be kidding me, how can she just let it go that quickly? I don't get it why wouldn't she be mad about it._

Videl was jumping for joy in her mind, ecstatic that he wanted the exact same thing she did. To want to start over and be friends, and she was more than happy to leave the past behind her. She smiled wide and extended her hand towards the baffled looking teen.

"So, let's go back to day one. Hi! My name is Videl!"

Gohan's mind finally registered fully what had just happened, and his mouth cracked into a nervous smile. He extended his hand and enveloped her tiny hand in a firm hand-shake. At her touch, he felt his heart lighten and his smile widened, reaching his eyes finally and shooting an excited shiver down Videl's spine.

_Damn… I'll never get used to how good he looks when he smiles._

"Hey Videl, I'm Gohan. It's nice to meet you."

***THE FOLLOWING MONDAY – OSH***

"Gohan, do you know when Lime is supposed to be showing up today? She said she would be starting this morning right?"

Gohan glanced up and right towards the bubbly blonde next to him, his pencil still scratching absently on his paper as his hands acted of their own accord just like every time he was deep in thought. He extended his senses outwards, searching for her familiar ki and finding it quickly.

"She should be here any minute, the exam wouldn't have taken that long for her to do… Remember she was educated the same way as me for a long time."

As if on cue, the door opened, and the same elderly professor who had first introduced Gohan walked in wearing his usual getup. He briskly walked to his desk in the front of the class, dropping his things and turning to the class. He cleared his throat and glanced around, his mustache quivering slightly.

"Well class, we are being blessed again with another new student. Much like Mr. Son up there, this girl scored full marks on her exams. Come on in Lime!"

Gohan smirked.

_Mom really does know her stuff. Most of these kids can barely comprehend the things that are taught here, much less the more complicated courses that Lime and I went through._

He glanced to his right, making sure that the seat they had secured for her was still empty next to Videl, so that the three girls were sandwiched between Sharpener and himself. The boy that had moved did so all too willingly when Gohan had asked him earlier that morning.

_He must have been at the party…_

That was what he was so lost in thought about. He had been so worried for the entire day on Sunday, wondering how the class would treat him when they returned to school, and rightfully so. He knew that they were trying to hide their stares and hushed conversations as he passed, but failed miserably. Some of the students, mostly the football players, stared at him with open contempt. As of yet, nobody had gotten news on Corey's condition other than he had been sent to intensive care and was now facing possible jail time for under-age drinking. Fortunately, none of the other students had been arrested, as his inebriation had been discovered upon blood tests.

Word passed quickly throughout the school that the new guy in the senior class had not only traded blows with, but completely demolished one of the toughest and most popular guys in the school without so much as a harsh word at him in return. Several looked at him with pure admiration, knowing why he had done it, while others carefully avoided his gaze and pretended not to notice him as he had walked past them that morning. The attention was bugging him, and it hadn't helped when he and Videl had arrived at the same time and walked to class together. He occasionally heard whispered words of their budding romance and fought himself to not silence them right then and there.

_Typical humans, thinking that she would throw herself at me and all that just because I saved her. Shallow little pricks. I don't even know the girl really!_

"Hi everyone, I'm Lime Lemon. I met a few of you at Videl's party on Saturday I think. This is my first year at public school since I was home schooled with Gohan for a good part of my life."

She smiled and waved up at her onyx eyed friend, who shifted nervously in his seat as the class turned to look at him. She giggled at his uncomfortableness and rolled her eyes.

_Seriously Gohan? You can't deal with a little attention from the class? What are the universes most powerful beings coming to these days?_

"Alright Lime, go ahead and take your seat."

The class returned their attention to their neighbors, chatting animatedly to one another about a whole mess of things that cluttered Gohan's mind. Down in the front, he heard a couple teens discussing in low voices about how hot the "new chick" was, and which one of them was going to go for her first. He clenched his hand, his knuckles cracking slightly as he looked down at them.

_I dare you to try._

He returned his gaze to Lime as she ascended the steps that led right to him, a wide grin plastered on her face. His scowl didn't go unnoticed by the brunette though, and one of her eyebrows shot up and she glanced towards the class and back to him. She reached him and leaned in to give him a hug, leaning in close to his ear.

"I know that look Gohan, whatever they're saying, ignore it."

He sighed and rolled his eyes, but returned the hug with one arm.

"I hate that you can read me like that."

She pulled back from the hug and shrugged in an innocent manner. He smirked and motioned his head towards the open seat down the row. She edged around the back of his chair, making her way to the offered chair, giving quick hugs to both Erasa and Videl on the way with short greetings between them all. Gohan went back to watching the class, listening carefully for more gossip that concerned Lime. Hearing none, he glanced down at his notepad, prepping himself for the coming lecture, and was surprised to find his hands had sketched a rather funny caricature of Vegeta wearing the pink "badman" shirt that Bulma had given him to wear during his early days at Capsule Corp. The sketch brought a smirk to his face as he remembered how flustered the warrior prince had been to be forced to wear pink.

_I'm just glad I convinced mom to allow me to dress myself for school. Between her and Bulma, I don't know whose fashion sense is more out of tune…_

The professor tapped his ruler on his desk to get everyone's attention, and yet another day of schooling at Orange Star High began.

***END OF THE SCHOOL DAY***

"You know, I kinda expected more from public school."

Gohan chuckled and shook his head as he opened his locker. The brunette next to him clutched her books to her chest and stared at the ground with a disappointed pout. Videl laughed openly at the comment, and the two blondes broke out of their conversation to see what was so funny. Gohan closed his locker after putting his text books away and leaned against them with his arms crossed.

"Lime, this is public high school we're talking about, not my mother's crazy education plan. They don't teach anything past Calculus and basic physics in high school… Everything higher than that is college level education."

She raised an eyebrow at him, giving him a "don't let her hear you call her crazy" type look.

"So then we should all be running off to college right? This is the senior year so…"

She glanced around at the rest of the group. Erasa and Sharpener shrugged, content to stay exactly where they were, and Videl rolled her eyes. Gohan turned his gaze up the hallway to see a small cluster of students crowd into the hall headed towards them led by a pair of the football team jocks. Videl spoke up, also noticing the crowd but answering Lime's question.

"Lime, these days you have to have a high school diploma to get into any college, and some damn good references to get into a high ranking college. Even then it's not going to be all that great really."

She turned her gaze towards the approaching group and nodded her head in their direction, sending Lime's attention their way.

"You always get the dumb gorillas there that only live to party, drink, and bang everything with tits and a pulse until they get dropped after their first year."

Lime scrunched her nose in disgust and sighed.

"Well, I can't say I'm not disappointed about that. I was kinda hoping to learn some ne-"

"GOHAN! GET OVER HERE YOU WHELP!"

Lime stiffened and snapped her attention to the jock in the front of the pack. He was a huge boy, standing taller than Gohan and he looked like he weighed fifty pounds more than him. He was wearing the all-too common letter jacket and a pair of jeans. His blond hair stood on end slightly, giving him a rough, almost military appearance. His face was set in a serious scowl as he glared over Lime's shoulder at Gohan.

_Total beef-cake. This guy doesn't know what he's getting into._

She glanced nervously over her shoulder at her adopted brother, who was still casually leaning up against the lockers with an evil-looking smirk on his face. She hated that look. He looked like Vegeta when he did that.

"I'm talking to you! You scrawny little shit! You think you can pull what you did with the captain and just get away with it?"

Gohan rolled his eyes and without a word stood up straight, pulling off his long-sleeve shirt that he was wearing today, revealing once again a plain white t-shirt that clung tightly to his chest and shoulders and fit tightly around his upper arms. All present except for Lime stared openly at him. Some among the group had seen him without his muscle-concealing long sleeve shirts on before, but it still brought on a state of shock. Videls eyes were wide as saucers as she admired her new friend's partially revealed figure.

_Kami I knew he was well built but this is… He's ripped!_

'He's sexy no? How about you go find out what he looks like without the other shirt on?'

_Yea… NO! No none of that Videl! Kami shut up brain! He's just a friend, and barely even that yet. _

Gohan tossed his shirt to Erasa and stood in the middle of the hallway with his arms crossed across his chest and stared down the jock.

"Yea actually I did think that. You know, I've fought with the worst types of low-life degenerates in my time, but you jocks… You're another thing entirely. Drugging an innocent woman to get her into bed with you? Bunch of disgusting pigs if you ask me. Corey earned his punishment, and I suggest you leave before you join him."

The jock cracked his knuckles and stepped forward, standing only a few feet away from the black-haired teen. Lime watched her friend carefully, ready to intervene in a moment's notice. The hallway held a deep silence, and it seemed nobody wanted to breathe as the school's biggest muscle-head and the mysterious new guy stared each other down.

"You've got a lot of nerve little-man. First you take Corey out of the game for the rest of the year, then you steal his girl, and _now_ you want to insult and threaten me to my face? Didn't your daddy ever tell you not to pick fights you can't win?"

Gohan's eyes hardened to a fierce glare and Lime audibly heard his knuckles crack as his hands balled into fists. Immediately, she rushed forward and grabbed onto his arm, tugging him gently in an attempt to remove him from the situation. He wouldn't budge, and her mind spiked with alarm when his eyes flashed teal for a split second.

"Gohan, come on he isn't worth your time! Let's get out of here before anything happens."

She glanced helplessly towards her three new friends, begging them to help. Erasa was staring fearfully at the boy, rooted to the spot. Videl was glaring hard at the jock, disgust and hatred plastered all over her face. Sharpener recovered from his state of awe however and stepped forward to grip Gohan's shoulder firmly.

"Come on man, Lime's right. Let's go, ignore him."

"Yea punk, listen to your little bitch and get out of here before I turn you into a bloody mess!"

Sharpener grabbed firmly onto Gohan's arm in preparation to attempt to hold him back, and lime pushed her hand firmly into his chest as he stiffened, preparing to murder the boy in front of him. His face contorted into a feral snarl and rage lit his features with a horrifying light. A loud snap echoed through the hallway, and his glare dropped to a look of complete surprise, and he stopped moving altogether. The three teens stared at the spot in front of them where the jock had been only a second before.

There in his place stood a fuming Videl, her shoulders hunched and her gloved fists clenched as she stared down at the fallen jock, who was toting a broken nose and a swollen eye.

"SHES NOT A BITCH YOU… _YOU… _STUPID SHIT!"

The other jock who had accompanied him dropped to his side and helped him to sit up, where he rubbed the side of his face the Satan girl had just bashed with her fist. The both of them stared fearfully at the girl, knowing her reputation as a fighter.

"And you know what? Gohan didn't 'steal' me from that sick man-whore! We're not together and neither were Corey and I! Got it?"

The two of them nodded their consent and scrambled to get away from the enraged woman. She crossed her arms and looked around at the rest of the gathered crowd.

"Well?!"

Her sharp question snapped the tension, and the crowd broke, scattering all about and breaking the previously thick silence in the hallway. She turned around and took in her shocked friends, slightly embarrassed at her outburst.

"Sorry guys, didn't mean to lose it like that. He just said those things and… Gah stupid jocks."

Gohan was the first to recover from his shock and gently shook off the two holding him, his face a neutral mask. He turned to Erasa, gently removing his shirt from her grasp and throwing it on, carefully avoiding looking directly into her eyes.

_That was too close. I've got to stop doing that. If Videl weren't here today…_

He was halted by a gentle hand grabbing his arm from behind. He glanced down at it and noticed to his surprise that it was gloved. He turned slightly and took in the concerned face of his new friend.

"Gohan, you gonna be alright?"

He considered her a moment before sighing and nodding slightly, his face unchanged from his neutral glare.

"I'll be fine, I just need to cool off. Thanks, by the way."

She was startled by the softness of his voice that completely contradicted his cold, dead stare. She released his arm and barely uttered out "any time" before he was gone, walking down the hallway towards the exit.

The remaining four people of the group stood together watching him leave. Lime placed a reassuring hand on Videl's shoulder and breaking the silence.

"He'll be okay Videl, I'll check up on him tonight. I'm staying at his godmother's house."

Videl nodded and turned her attention to the younger girl, who was giving her a grateful smile.

"Thank you by the way. You defended me, and… Well whether or not you realize it, you saved Gohan from himself right there. Gohan's very sensitive when it comes to his loved ones, but especially his father."

Her eyes unfocused as she spoke, as if trying to remember something. Videl felt curiosity well up in her and tilted her head to the side slightly.

"I noticed that when the idiot mentioned Gohan's 'daddy'. Why is that?"

Lime started and returned her eyes to the raven-haired beauty. Her eyes widened and became fearful, realizing that she had said more than she intended.

"I can't tell you, it's not my place to say. I shouldn't have said anything. Gohan will tell you when he's ready. Please, just forget I mentioned it!"

Videl furrowed her brow in concentration, adding this bit of information to the "things I know about Gohan Son" pile, and adding more questions to her "Things I still want to know" pile. She nodded towards the brunette girl, who smiled brightly and ran after her adopted brother, leaving the other three. Sharpened scratched the back of his head, lost deep in thought.

"You know, I've never heard Gohan mention his father. We've talked about his mom, but his father has never been brought up."

Videl glanced at the ground. It was true, the black haired teen had never mentioned his father, not even a name. Erasa piped up, her high pitched voice cutting through Videl's mind with a question she hadn't considered.

"Lime said he lost someone he loved more than anyone else a few years ago… You don't think...?"

The three looked at each other wide eyed. Videl sighed and started walking towards the exit, trailing her two blonde friends.

"Let's not jump to conclusions, none of us know for sure."

_But that makes a lot of sense. Just one more possible piece to the puzzle._

'Why are you so interested in fitting this particular puzzle together? Couldn't possibly be that you like Gohan do you?'

_No… Well yes, but as a friend! I want to know more about him._

'Uhhuh, sure thing. If you say so, just remember, I know otherwise.'

_Shut up._

**A/N:** **There ya go! Next chapter is already in the works, and just letting you know now, it's partially focused on a character that might surprise you! Let me know what you guys think about the developments here! See you next time!**


	13. Puzzles

**Told you I was already working on this one huh? Actually to be honest this one was partially written before the last one, but I decided that I needed to have more dialogue before this happened... What is it you ask? Read and find out! I might get some flak for this one, but it presents a nice little twist to the story I think!**

**Thanks all for the reviews, and the warm reception of this plot-line! R&R, and Enjoy!**

**Chapter 13: Puzzles**

***VIDEL'S ROOM***

Videl sighed heavily and dropped the newspapers she had been studying onto the considerably large pile on her desk. She leaned forward and rubbed her temples in frustration. It was fast approaching the end of summer, nearly two months since the day that Lime had joined their high school, and each day she got more and more frustrated about trying to figure Gohan out. Not that she wasn't making progress with the guy.

She reviewed the last few weeks, trying to remember everything that had happened. School had a nice routine to it now. Wake up, go to school, spend the entire day chatting with her friends and occasionally going out to fight crime. This whole time, Bardock had only appeared five times and left before she could talk to him. She so wanted to confront him and ask him the questions that had been plaguing her mind. Was he the gold fighter like she suspected? Was he Gohan like she suspected? How can he do those seemingly inhuman feats? The others denied that Gohan had gone missing during the time that Bardock was present, stating that he had only been absent to go to the bathroom or something of the sort on a couple occasions. She watched her new Brunette friend, careful to spot any signs that she knew otherwise, but as of yet, the girl was very convincing.

She had grown quite attached to Lime, and between her and Erasa, managed to spend a lot of her free time doing girl things. She understood why Gohan was so attached to her, but her shopping habits were nearly as bad as the Blondes. Nearly every weekend they all gathered at the Satan Mansion or at Erasa's house, and went out to do whatever they felt like, occasionally dragging the boys with them. Videl wasn't one to shop normally, but she took every opportunity to be with Lime so that she could learn about her crush.

She didn't openly admit it to the other girls, but she knew that she had strong feelings towards the tall teen now. Over the course of just a couple weeks, he had gone from the stuck up ass-hole she had come accustomed to, to being someone she loved to spend time with. It was subtle at first, his attitude and demeanor remaining stern and neutral at all times, though not as harsh towards her as he had been. But slowly, he started letting his guard down around her, and she found a completely different person buried deep within him.

When he let it show, he proved to be one of the gentlest men that she had ever met. He was compassionate and loved his family with an almost fanatic devotion. She learned about his little brother and sister, but had yet to meet them in person. But every time she asked to go into detail about his past, Lime skillfully avoided answering the question. It frustrated her beyond all reason that she couldn't get close enough to him to ask, and the only other person that knew everything she wanted to know wouldn't tell her.

After a couple weeks of trying to get the information from Lime, she admitted defeat, resigning herself to figure it out on her own. She had started to compile all of the information she had on Gohan, Bardock, and the gold fighter, writing it all down on paper and collecting whatever media she could concerning them. That was when she had come to a surprising conclusion. But she wanted to confirm her suspicions. While she couldn't ask Gohan directly, she thought of another person who could tell her what she wanted to know.

Deciding on a course of action, she pushed back from her desk and stood. She took a deep breath and walked out of her room in search of her query.

***DOWNSTAIRS***

Hercule Satan sipped from his coffee, grimacing at the bitter taste of the caffeinated drink.

"You know sir, you should probably try laying off of the brandy once in a while."

The fighter looked up from his drink and examined the butler with a bleary eyed scowl.

"I'll lay off the brandy when I die. Get the paper for me would you?"

The butler stiffly nodded and turned on his heel, headed for the front door of the mansion. Hercule took another sip of his coffee and scowled again. It was true, he had a drinking problem. After all, what better method was there to help him deal with his problems than to drown them in the bottom of a bottle? His daughter hated him. The one bit of his wife he had left, the only thing that he truly cared for in this world hated him. But try as he might, he couldn't squash the depression that had gripped him since the day she found out his secret.

"Hey dad."

He started and turned to the doorway to find none other than his daughter standing there with a confused expression adorning her face. Her eyebrows were furrowed above her cerulean eyes that bored into his.

"Good morning sweet pea. Did you sleep well last night?"

She nodded curtly and crossed the room to sit across the table from him, taking him by surprise. It was rare for her to willingly stay in the same room as him for any period of time, and much more so for her to make the conscious decision to join him there. He knew that whatever was on her mind was a serious matter. He set down his coffee, preparing himself for whatever was to come.

"Dad… I need to talk to you about the Cell games."

His jaw dropped and he furrowed his brow in confusion.

_What? Two years later and she still has questions? What is she after? I told her everything already!_

"Videl I already told you everything I remember from that day! I swear there's nothing else there."

He glanced around nervously, making sure that none of the staff were there. Videl seemed to realize what was going through his mind and quickly made her way around the doors, locking them all. She returned to her seat across from him and set her face into a serious mask.

"Dad, this isn't about what you did, so just stop there. This is about the other fighters that were there. The ones who used all the light tricks and such."

"Well… what about them?"

She sighed and closed her eyes, lost in thought for a second as she gathered the information she had collected in her mind.

"There were… Four fighters there who were able to change their hair color right? Black to gold?"

Hercule concentrated hard for a few seconds, recollecting his memories of that day through the haze of his hangover.

"Y-Yea there were four. There was one tall one who I only saw for a little while, but his hair was blonde the whole time, so I couldn't tell you if his hair could change or not. He disappeared with Cell partway through the games, after he fought. Then there was the Child that fought after him, his hair was blonde until after the fight. Then a really short man who changed his a few times and the purple haired guy who Cell killed. I think I saw his change gold for a little while too."

Videl nodded her head, staring without seeing into the table.

"The Child, what happened to him? Could you tell who he was?"

Hercule narrowed his eyes in concentration.

_ Why does she want to know all of this? Where is she going with this line of questions?_

"Ummm honestly I couldn't tell you who he was, but I don't think he survived. After he killed Cell with that blue light trick thing, he collapsed. I ran over to try and help him if I could, but the other guys flew away with him before I could get there. He was in bad shape, all beat up and with a giant chunk of his shoulder gone. He left a huge puddle of blood in the sand there."

He swallowed past the wave of nausea as flashbacks to the scene emerged in his head. The smell of burnt flesh, the dark red bloodstains, the tall green man staring him down, forcing him to want to cower in fear. Videl carefully watched her father, her face begging for more information. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath, forcing himself to continue.

"I told you about the Green man before, he was the last one there, carrying the body of the purple haired guy. He knew I was approaching and he's the one who told me that they didn't want the credit for the kill."

"Did he tell you who any of them were? No names?"

He shook his head, trying hard to remember the conversation.

…_take the credit if you will, get your money and fame. We don't want it. But you will not ever forget what my friend did here. But understand, that while you may be a powerful human in your own rights, that boy is the best this world has to offer, same as his father whom you owe your life to. You will never be able to compare to the power that you witnessed today._

The deep rumble of the alien's voice echoed in his head, sure to haunt him for the rest of his life.

"No, there were no names. The only thing he said was that the boy was 'the best the world has to offer, same as his father'. I imagine that I would know a man who had such a high reputation. He said that I owed my life to him, so I guessed that the boy's father was the tall blonde guy with the spiky hair that disappeared. When he and Cell disappeared, and then Cell came back, I think that he died. I don't know though, just guessing."

There was a sharp knock on the door, interrupting their conversation. The muffled voice of the Butler could be heard from the other side of the door.

"Sir, I've brought your paper. Would you like me to leave it here?"

Videl turned in her chair and raised her voice.

"Please do so George, my father and I are having some bonding time right now."

"As you wish madam."

There was a light shuffling as the butler laid the papers down against the door, and his footsteps could be heard echoing down the hall. Videl returned her gaze to her father.

"Is there anything else you can remember about them? Just the blonde ones, I'm not concerned with the others, though the green guy intrigues me."

Hercule stared down at his hands clasped in front of him around his coffee mug.

"No, that's all I can remember. I don't have anything else for you."

He continued to stare at his hands until she did something that completely caught him off guard. She stood and moved around the table to hug him around his large frame and planted a kiss on his rough, unshaven cheek.

"Thanks dad. Erasa and Lime will be coming by later today, just so you know. I'll see you later."

"Yea… Have fun sweet pea…"

He stared after her as she left, a dumbfounded expression fixed firmly on his face. His stomach did a backflip and he felt a huge weight lift off of his heart. That was the first time in a long time that she had touched him in an affectionate manner besides acting for the cameras whenever it was necessary. A small smile crept up his face as he stood to go collect the paper that was lying next to the door.

_Maybe it's not so bad. Maybe I can actually regain her trust…_

***A FEW MINUTES LATER – VIDEL'S ROOM***

Videl burst into her room and shut the door, locking it behind her. She was ecstatic. She had gotten all of the information she needed from her father, and she immediately began making notes on a piece of paper, glancing at the collected newspapers and articles from over the years about the Cell games and Bardock.

_I already have my suspicion that Bardock is the Gold Fighter in disguise. The Gold fighter is just like the fighters from the Cell games, down to the glowing gold aura and super-human capabilities. Whether or not it's fake is one thing, but I think that it's too much of a coincidence that it looks exactly the same. One of those fighters was just a kid, and from the footage, no older than eleven or twelve at the time._

She glanced over an article with a snapshot of the fighters from a distance. Still too far to identify any of them by facial recognition, but good enough to distinguish between them all. She looked between the man in the orange gi and spiky blonde hair to the short boy that stood at his side in a purple gi and white cape.

_They could definitely be father and Son, and I think that Dad was right about that assumption. It only makes sense. But then this kid would be my age now, if he survived his wounds, which makes him a perfect candidate to be the Gold Fighter I saw, and therefore: Bardock._

She wrote all of this out in a diagram, linking the names together with notes on each line, and then wrote Gohan's name next to Bardock's. She began gathering all the information on him from her mind.

_He's the right size, he's amazingly well built, scarred, and he's always so serious like a warrior should be. Lime says he lost someone he loved a few years ago, and I think it has to have been his father, whom he never talks about._

She glanced back over to where she had made the note "Unknown warrior", drawing a line between the two.

_Just how many years? Seven perhaps? His little brother and sister are seven according to Lime, and she said she's known him for a little over seven years herself._

She put down her pencil and ran over the facts in her head, tracing the diagram with her eyes. She felt her mind click into place and it all made sense to her. Everything fit. She had the puzzle, and put all the pieces she could find together in order. There were certainly holes, but none that broke the chain.

_Gohan was the "Delivery Boy" at the Cell games. He's grown up, and taken up the role of Bardock in my City. He can do all those fancy light tricks, and he's proved that he's tougher than I could have imagined on multiple occasions... It all makes sense!_

She felt her stomach plummet as she looked at the diagram again, staring hard at the "Unknown Warrior". Ice crawled through her veins as she added on more conclusions.

_And he lost his father there. He survived the fight, but his father didn't, and he blames himself. That's why he is so hard on himself, and why he's so protective of his family. That's what he doesn't want to admit to the world. Oh Gohan, I'm so sorry. I can only imagine…_

She stared hard at the papers on her desk, wondering where to go now. Her expression was serious as could be, and her mind raced a million miles per hour.

'You figured it out, you know he's Bardock. Everything fits too perfectly for it to be otherwise.'

_Yea, but he's keeping it hidden for a reason. I just got him to start being friendly with me, and I imagine he wouldn't be pleased to find out I've been snooping._

'The evidence was all there to begin with, you just had to look. You weren't digging, you just put two and two together.'

_It's still invading on his private life._

'Ah but isn't that where you want to be? In his private life?"

_Well yes… But not like this. If he were to find out, I don't know how he would react. How would I react if I were in his shoes?_

'Probably get pissy and ignore whoever figured it out… That's just like you.'

_Exactly, and I don't want him to shut me out like that. I enjoy being around him, and I just feel so horrible for his loss that I want to make him happy._

'Fine, but he's going to find out you know.'

_I'll have to risk it this time. Nobody else needs to know what I do._

With that thought, she picked up the paper with her diagram and all of the other scratch paper she had made before that and dropped it all in her metal paper bin. She walked towards the door and set it out on her balcony before taking the lighter she used to light candles in her room and set fire to the evidence of her work. She watched it burn in the early morning sun, a satisfied smile on her face.

_I know who you are Gohan. Finally, I understand. Or at least I hope I do._

***SATAN CITY MALL***

Today was a crowded day at the mall. Students were taking advantage of their off Saturday to go shopping or watch movies at the theater, and those that didn't have work that day spent time with their loved ones or relieving stress. People brushed past each other in the crowded halls. Cutting through the mess of people like a wedge was a slender woman carrying a toddler in her arms.

The woman had a head of straight, platinum blonde hair that framed her smooth face and piercing blue eyes. She was wearing a comfortable looking button up shirt and a pair of khaki pants. She was stunningly beautiful, and carried herself with a cool confidence. The child in her arms had the same platinum blonde hair pulled into two pig-tails, and she was wearing an adorable red sun-dress. She nibbled happily on a sucker and stared over her mother's shoulder at a pile of boxes that appeared to be walking on their own.

"Daddy, why do you have so many boxes? Mommy got clothes, not boxes!"

The pile paused a moment, and a short man leaned his head around the boxes stacked in his arms, giving his daughter a blank expression. He had a full head of black hair that stuck out evenly.

"You know, that's a good question Marron. Why do I have so many boxes babe?"

Android 18 smiled down at her daughter. Her voice was soft and cold, but not nearly as mechanical as it had been all those years before. She had become more in touch with her human side again, regaining some of the basic human understanding that had been removed from her when she underwent surgery by Dr. Gero.

"Because your father decided for us to live on Kame Island with Master Roshi instead of the mainland. So I have to get all my shopping done in one go."

She glanced over her shoulder at her husband, who grumbled and righted the boxes in his arms.

"Oh hey 18! Over here!"

The family of three turned their heads to look over into the lounge of a local coffee shop where Lime was seated, waving to them excitedly with a broad smile on her face. 18 stopped and halted Krillin just in front of the shop, and the little girl in her arms squirmed excitedly.

"Auntie Lime! Auntie Lime!"

The blonde beauty smiled down at her daughter before releasing her from her grasp, allowing her to run her way into the shop and Lime's waiting arms. Krillin grunted and dropped his load of boxes at the entrance, just inside the shop and dusted himself off.

_Darn woman getting back at me for Roshi… It's not my fault he's a crazy old coot!_

His wife strode over to him and give him a quick peck on the lips, instantly pulling him from his foul mood. He sighed and smiled at her, motioning for her to lead the way. They approached the table and Krillin watched with amusement as Lime bounced his daughter on her lap, and the blonde teenager next to her babbled excitedly about how adorable the blonde child was. As they got closer, Lime stood with Marron in her arms and closed the short distance to them, pulling 18 into a one armed hug.

"It's so good to see you all again! Marron has grown so much! Gosh the last time I saw her she was only just a baby! She's three now right? Kami has it really been two years? How have you all been?"

The elder blonde woman shrugged and gave a smirk, crossing her arms after the hug was released.

"As good as can be for us. The little one is three now, but we haven't really been out much lately. I finally convinced Krillin to come to the mall here since it's closest to the Island. Needless to say, he's not too happy about it."

The two of them laughed at his dejected look and he huffed, a pout on his face.

"I swear the only thing I'm good for anymore is carrying things. I'm a world class fighter and as soon as I get married, _snap, _I'm a pack-mule."

Lime laughed at his analogy and rolled her eyes, pulling him into a hug. The man was a half foot shorter than her, so she had to stoop slightly, but he returned the hug, taking Marron from her arms as they parted. The little girl giggled and pulled on her father's hair, staring at her "auntie" with an innocent smile.

"Auntie Lime what are you doing here?"

Krillin gently removed his daughters hand from his hair with a wince and cradled the girl with one arm. He glanced around, and took in the two teens who were watching the interaction from the table behind Lime.

"Hey Lime, who are your friends? Couldn't help but notice Gohan wasn't here, you planning something on him?"

His smile turned devious and he quirked his eyebrows at her suggestively. Lime started and glanced at the table behind her.

"Oh Kami where are my manners. Krillin, 18, this is Erasa and Videl. They're friends of mine and Gohans at school here in Satan City! You two, this is 18 and Krillin, old family friends of mine and Gohan's. And that adorable little munchkin there is Marron, their daughter."

She gestured to each of them in turn, and handshakes were made between the four older people while Marron stared at the two new girls in wonderment. Erasa quirked her eyebrow at the older blonde woman.

"Your name is 18? I'm sorry but that's sorta... odd."

The woman shrugged and rolled her eyes.

"When you're the eighteenth child out of nineteen, name's are hard to come by. Needless to say my _father _wasn't a very creative man."

There was a short silence as the two teens looked at her weird, trying to determine how serious she was.

"You're real pretty! I like your eyes!"

Everyone snapped out of the silence and looked at Marron, who was smiling brightly up at the raven haired girl directly in front of her. Videl blushed furiously and smiled nervously at the little girl while the rest of the group laughed at the toddler's innocence. Even 18 let a small chuckle out at her antics. Lime gestured towards the table.

"You guys want to join us? We can get a coffee ordered for you, the iced strawberry frappe is amazing here!"

The couple agreed and sat with the three teenagers, with Marron constantly switching between her mother's, Lime's, and Krillin's laps. The group chatted for a while about nothing in particular: About the recent game, how things were at OSH, minor girl talk between Lime, Erasa, and 18, and talk of the upcoming World Martial Arts tournament. 18 carefully watched the three teens, observing them carefully. She knew lime well enough, and was pleased to find that the girl hadn't changed much since the last time they had spoken.

The bubbly blonde, Erasa, was the poster-child of the ditzy blonde. 18 noted that while she was a little bit scatter-brained, her constant smile was nearly infectious to even her. She practically radiated positive vibes, and she had good taste in fashion. Then there was the raven haired girl sitting across the table diagonally to her.

She automatically knew who the girl was. One of the many advantages of her implants was an enhanced memory, and she was able to identify the girl immediately as that buffoon Hercules's daughter.

_This is interesting. Surely Lime and Gohan know who this girl is, and yet they have befriended the spawn of the very man who stole Gohan's credit. How does Gohan handle this, especially with his temper? She will bear watching I think. Let's see how she is…_

"So Videl, are you planning on entering the tournament coming up with your father? He is still the reigning world champion, no?"

Her voice cut through a pause in the conversation and the girl froze in place, her face draining of color as she looked at the blonde woman. Her eyes shot wide and Krillin looked at his wife with a puzzled expression. Videl glanced at Lime and Erasa, who both were watching 18 carefully. Nobody had mentioned who Videl's father was. 18 rolled her eyes and smirked.

"It's okay, I know that you're Videl Satan, I've seen you on the television. I'm just curious if you're going to be participating this time."

Videl visibly relaxed and cleared her throat. Lime narrowed her eyes at the older woman, giving her a glare that clearly said "That was _so _not cool", but nobody else seemed to notice.

_Ah so they _do _know who she is. Hmmm the girl seems nice enough, nothing like her father so far. That Oaf would have jumped at the possibility of positive publicity. Still… How much does this girl know?_

"Well yea, I feel like I need to. I want to win this year, after all I'll be moving out of my father's mansion once I graduate High School, and I'll need some money to live on my own."

All present gave her an incredulous look, except for Marron who was sipping happily on a cup of iced Frappuccino. She stared back at them with eyebrows raised.

"What? You don't think I'd be willing to let my dad pay for everything do you? I didn't earn what the city has given him, so why should I take any of it for myself?"

Erasa and Lime shrugged, knowing to expect nothing less of their friend. Krillin and 18 exchanged a surprised glance, and returned their attention to the conversation. The others began talking, but 18 was lost in thought again.

_How strange, she has everything she could possible want from her father. And yet… Well just looking at her appearance, she doesn't wear expensive clothing, no makeup… She could be just an average high school girl if I didn't know who she was. Why would she not take advantage of her wealth, why turn down what the City has given her father for… Wait a second… Does she know that her father didn't kill Cell?_

She glanced at the girl who was, to 18's surprise, looking directly at her with a worried expression on her face. The two stared at each other, lightning blue clashing with cerulean.

"Videl? Videl!"

Erasa waved a hand in front of her friend's face, who blinked a couple times and shook her head, hesitantly turning her eyes to the blonde.

"What?"

Erasa huffed indignantly and rolled her eyes.

"Gosh what's with you today? You're constantly off in la-la land, it's not like you! I was asking you if you could describe Bardock for Mr. Krillin here! He hasn't heard of him yet!"

Videl paled slightly and looked at Krillin, who had a curious look on his face. 18 watched her closely, trying to make sense of her actions.

"Well, Bardock is this guy who keeps showing up around the city, helping me fight crime. Funny thing, he only shows up when there's a particularly rough group of people, or some situation where my fighting skills don't help. It's like he knows exactly when to show up. He's always masked so I can't see his face, and he wears this black armor stuff. I can't tell exactly what it's made of."

Krillin and 18 glanced at eachother, trading a significant look.

_Gohan._

Krillin returned his attention to the raven-haired girl, raising an eyebrow at her with a devious smirk and settling his head into his hand and resting his elbow on the table in front of him.

"A super-hero huh? Seems he's got a thing for you if he keeps saving you from baddies. Any idea who he is?"

The girl blanched and stared at the former monk with wide eyes. He chuckled and waved his hand at her, signaling her to forget it.

"I'm just messing with you, of course you don't know who he is. You said he was masked right? Well I bet the guy is just nervous around people! Tell you what, I wouldn't mind sparring him if he's as good as you say."

Videl stared at him incredulously, and started posing counter arguments as to why it would be impossible. 18 made sure the attention of the party was elsewhere and caught Lime's eye with a pointed stare. Once the brunette's attention was on her, she raised her eyebrow, silently asking the question that she wanted confirmed. Was Gohan this Bardock person? The girl nodded in understanding and confirmation, her face a nervous mask as she watched the exchange.

_So Gohan is going around playing Super-hero with Videl, and she's not supposed to know. Oh but this is interesting, she didn't know what to say when Krillin asked her if she knew who he was. That was clever on his part, covering it up like that. She definitely knows who Bardock is. What else has she figured out?_

"Look all I'm saying is that I used to be a world class fighter, and I think that I could probably get in the ring with this guy. I might be a little bit older, but fighters just aren't what they used to be back in my day. It'd be fun to get into the ring again."

Videl looked at him confused a few seconds, then something seemed to hit her and her eyes widened. She blinked a couple times and looked at Krillin with her head at an angle. Her head snapped back upright and she leaned forward into the table.

"You're _the _Krillin Chestnut! You fought in the twenty-first, second, and third world martial arts tournaments and made the semi-finals each time! You studied under the legend, master Roshi with Yamcha, Tien and… Oh my."

She hesitated and her stare blanked out. Suddenly she slapped her forehead and looked over at Lime, who was staring at her with wide, fearful eyes. Her next words were barely over a whisper.

"Goku Son… Who married Chi Chi immediately after the twenty-third tournament? Then you all disappeared from public view, even Chi Chi, who if I recall correctly, is the Ox Princess?"

18 watched the girls mind work in her expression, and was impressed at how quickly she had connected the dots.

_The girl is damn sharp, I'll give her that. She knows her stuff, and just found a huge piece of the puzzle._

Erasa furrowed her brow in concentration and stared at the table.

"But wait a second… Chi Chi Son, didn't Gohan say…"

Her eyes flashed wide open and she stared at Krillin incredulously. He held up his hands towards the two teens, his face a mask of seriousness. Marron was oblivious to the tension that had just filled the air, and continued to sip the coffee through a straw.

"Yea, Gohan's mother and father. I'm not surprised he didn't tell you who his father was. I'm sure you know how uh… sensitive he is about that subject. I'm his godfather and he doesn't even really talk to me all that much about those sorts of things."

At this point, Lime finally spoke up, her voice barely over a whisper as she spoke to her two friends.

"You two realize that you can't mention this conversation to anyone besides us, except for maybe Sharpener later? Videl, you know you aren't the only one who knows about the previous fighters from the tournaments, and Gohan's dad is a legend for both defeating the Demon King and winning the twenty third tournament. If it gets out that he's Goku's son, the media will be on him almost as much as it has been on you, and he won't be able to handle that."

The two girls set their faces and nodded, knowing the sensitivity of the information they had just discovered. Videl obviously wanted to ask more questions of the former monk, but restrained herself. The group gradually settled back into conversation, with a now overly-hyper Marron interjecting her innocent remarks at rapid fire, cutting through the tension like a knife through butter.

***LATER THAT EVENING – OUTSIDE SATAN CITY MALL***

The party had stuck together for a large portion of the day, with Krillin lugging around all of the massive amount of purchases his wife had made. The girls talked excitedly about guys, fashion, and other girlish things. Videl hung back from the group slightly, watching the other three chat, lost in thought about a certain onyx eyed teen. They were outside now, and preparing to part their own ways and return home.

Videl and Krillin pulled capsules from their pockets, unleashing them into an empty lot to reveal a pair of jet-copters. The teens and the family said their good-byes, and made to mount their vehicles. Videl turned to go, but was stopped by 18 putting a hand on her shoulder.

"Videl, a word if you don't mind? In private?"

She nodded, remembering the piercing stare the woman had given her earlier, knowing exactly what was going to happen next. She turned to the other two, waving them on and walked with the blonde a short distance away. They paused and the woman faced off with her and scrutinized her from head to toe before staring into the young girl's eyes.

"You know don't you? Don't pretend either. I'm very good at reading people and you've got a lot on your mind. You know."

Videl was a little caught off guard by the statement. She had expected the woman to lecture her on why she shouldn't pester Gohan, but the meaning of her question was abundantly clear.

_She wants to know what I know. She obviously is part of his small circle of friends who know what he's been through._

She set her jaw, and steeled her nerves against the woman's piercing stare. She nodded and clasped her hands in front of her, struggling to keep her eyes glued on the woman before her, who crossed her arms and considered the girl for a moment.

"How much?"

Videl glanced towards the two choppers, noticing that they were being watched. She tried to compose her face into a neutral mask and returned her gaze to the woman.

"More than Gohan wants me to know I'm sure. I know he's Bardock, his father was Goku Son and…"

She paused and glanced at the chopper again before dropping her voice.

"I know that he was at the Cell Games. I know he was the one that killed Cell, and I know his father died there."

She held her breath and watched the blonde's reaction:Her eyes narrowed and she pursed her lips. 18 glanced over at the choppers quickly and returned her steely gaze to the teen.

_I'm right. I knew it made too much sense, her reaction confirms it though._

"How? This is not something that we advertise."

"I figured it out on my own. I made the connections between the Gold Fighter and Bardock, and then the Gold Fighter and the delivery boy. Gohan just happened to fit the picture perfectly from the little bit of information I had on him."

The blonde raised an eyebrow at her, but her expression remained serious.

"You're much smarter than I would have anticipated. No offense, but your father didn't exactly put on a good showing that day."

The girl nodded her head slightly, twiddling her thumbs nervously.

"But do _not _tell other people this. Not even your friend Erasa. Don't even let Lime know that you've figured it out, and under no circumstances should you ever speak to Gohan about it without his consent. You've walked into an extremely dangerous game by figuring out his past, even the _very_ limited amount of it you have."

_So there is more. Somehow I knew it._

"Will you be telling anyone that I've figured it out? Any of your little gang? Your husband?"

She looked nervously at the woman, not wanting to be frowned upon as a snoop by the group of people that she owed her life and prosperity to. To her relief, the blonde woman smiled a weak smile and laid a reassuring hand on her shoulder.

"No Videl, I won't. You understanding this is not a bad thing, and I'm glad that you've accepted it and decided not to mention it to anyone. Give Gohan time, he will open up to you on his own."

She smiled, and caught the blondes arm as she started to turn to leave, remembering one question she had been set on asking.

"Wait. I have to know, the lights and the flying that the fighters did at the games… The ones at the tournament? Are they real? When I first met Bardock, he made a ball of light right in front of my face, and I could feel the energy coming off of it. I just need to know."

The blonde woman stared at her hard, her brow furrowed as she considered how much to say.

"They're not 'tricks' like your father says, if that's what you mean. Me and my husband can use them, and you've already seen the evidence from the tournaments who else can. Tread carefully within this subject, as it is not one to be toyed with. I can't tell you how to approach that one, you'll have to figure it out."

The raven haired girl nodded her head and stared at the ground in thought.

_So they're not tricks after all… I wonder then, could I learn how to do it too? Krillin and 18 can do it, so can Yamcha Bandit and Tien Shinhan. Gohan's family too. They're human too, so I should be able to… Huh that explains why Yamcha is so good at baseball, I bet he's as strong as Gohan… Question is, how strong is that?_

"You're a smart girl Videl, I'm sure you'll work your way into Gohan's life. It's obvious to me that you have an interest in him beyond friendship. Take your time with him, and I guarantee you'll break down his emotional wall eventually."

Videl started and stared wide eyed at the blonde, who was smirking at her deviously.

_How in the world? Oh I'm not even going to guess how she figured out that one, she can see right through me. I just hope the others don't catch on._

"Let's go before the others start to wonder. And remember, don't let anyone know what you do."

**A/N: BOOM! This one is going to be interesting. Let's see if anyone can figure out how this is going to work out. Next couple chapters are probably going to be a twist on a common G/V theme. You'll see when I get there what I mean. Anywhats, thanks for reading, and stay tuned for the next chapter!**

**Also, just a time-frame note here... Gohan started school in mid-june. At this point in the story, it is now about to enter the month of October. I don't know how schooling goes elsewhere, but in this story-line, I planned on having it from early june-march. Think of it what you will, but that's where we stand right now. **


	14. Vacation

**Hey all! Guess what? Only two more days of my super crazy schedule and then I'll be able to get chapters up at a more regular rate! Unfortunately I was tossing between two or three different ways to go about this next one so it took me a little longer than I anticipated. Really this chapter and the next should be one, but I decided to break it in half to 1: create some suspense, and 2: spread out the events! Be gentle please! **

**Lots of character development in this and the next chapter, so keep your eyes out!**

**Chapter 14: Vacation**

***DAY BEFORE FALL BREAK – OSH***

"So you guys, what are we going to do? I mean, it's Friday, we've got a week off of school starting tomorrow, and we don't have anything planned!"

It was lunch period, and the gang was all out by their usual tree, minus Lime. The brunette was a short distance away talking to someone on her phone in hushed tones. It was a gorgeous day out, still warm enough for everyone to be out in short sleeves and shorts, and the world took on an orange hue with the change of seasons. It was beautiful to Gohan. He was leaned back against the tree, hands clasped behind his head as he relaxed.

"Well to be honest I have no Idea what we should do! I mean next Friday is Halloween, but we're all a bit old to go trick or treating."

"Oh Videl, you're no fun! We can still go trick or treating!"

Gohan smirked and cracked one eye to watch the two girls talk back and forth. He had really grown quite close to his little group since Videl's birthday party. Erasa remained the little bubble of happiness that managed to make him feel better no matter what sort of mood he was in. Sharpener was the only guy friend he had, and the two of them were constantly in a state of argument about the most mundane things. Just the other day, they had a discussion about which Mortal Kombat woman was the hottest. Most interesting to him though was the change that had come between himself and Videl.

Especially in the last couple weeks, he had noticed that she seemed to grow attached to him. They spoke a lot whenever everyone was together, and she seemed to have come to an understanding about his mood swings almost as much as Lime did. She stepped in often in the weeks after the party to defend him if anyone gave him a hard time, which he allowed lest he lose his temper. She had developed a concern for him that he had never expected to receive from her, and he didn't know how to respond to it. He still avoided being one on one with her if he could help it, even whenever he had to go out as Bardock to assist her.

He constantly fought with himself, forcing himself to keep her distant from him. He wasn't blind to her advances, and he wanted to just accept them. But he couldn't allow himself to let it happen. He was dangerous, prone to violence when his temper snapped, and anyone he was close to was a target. He cared for the girl, more than he ever said out loud, and was determined to keep her just as a friend for that very reason. He was scared to lose her.

So he kept her where she was, as just a friend. It was an equitable arrangement to him, and she didn't push herself on him. He was happy, happier than he had been in a very long time. It was days like this that made everything worth it, just sitting around with his friends and chatting and enjoying the day. He watched a formation of waterfowl flying overhead, and nostalgia washed over him as he remembered a day just like today. The same day that Lime had given him the ring he still wore around his neck. He smiled and closed his eyes.

"Well nerd boy is sure in a good mood. I bet he's got this whole break planned out and isn't telling!"

He raised an eyebrow without opening his eyes and shrugged, knowing that Sharpener was just trying to get something out of him.

"Nah sharpie, I'm just enjoying the weather. I don't actually have any plans to speak of. I was hoping you guys would come up with something."

Lime returned at that moment, settling herself next to Gohan and poking him in the side, jerking him out of his serene state. He sat up and gave her a hurt puppy look.

"Oh hush up, I think I just got something for us all to do, but you might not like it."

He immediately focused on her, setting his hands firmly against the ground. She took a deep breath, glancing at the other three, trying to find the words to say.

"Your mother is taking the kids to your Godmother's house for the next week. Said something about needing to get out of the house. She asked that you join her there, and asked to see if these three wanted to come along for the week. She wants to meet them still you know?"

Gohan paled and stared at her incredulously, glancing at the quizzical looks the other three were sending him.

"She _what_?"

"Oh come on Gohan, don't be like this. They can be trusted with this one I think."

He shook his head. Sure the other three could probably deal with the knowledge of who his godmother was, but having them at Capsule Corporation with the demon trio _and _Vegeta at the same time…?

"I'm not worried about trusting these three. Did you stop and think about Vegeta? What do you think he'll do when three unknown teens show up on his doorstep, including – no offense Videl – the Daughter of the man who he thinks is the funniest Joke this side of the galaxy?"

Lime opened her mouth to say something, but Sharpener cut her off.

"Hold up! You've got to be kidding me, someone _actually _thinks that Hercule Satan is a joke? Why I oughta –"

"Sharpie, for your own sake, don't finish that sentence."

Lime deadpanned at him, and he looked around at the other teens incredulously. To his surprise, Videl didn't even try to defend her father's honor.

"You're joking. Videl, I don't get it why aren't you sticking up for your old man here? I know you two had your differences but –"

"Sharpener, just shut up."

She fixed him with a glare out of the corner of her eyes, her mouth set into a firm scowl. Gohan furrowed his brow, confused at her actions.

_She doesn't care that we just announced that someone thinks her father is a joke, in fact she seems to agree… It couldn't be… No she would have said something before now if she knew her father hadn't done it… Though that would explain a lot._

Erasa piped up, breaking the silence that had settled over the group.

"Well don't leave us all hanging, where are we going, and who is your Godmother? We've known you for months and none of us have been over to your guys' place! What's the big secret?"

Gohan exchanged a look with Lime and sighed, nodding his consent. She gave a small smile, and still looking at him, started the conversation that would bring the three teens before them into the small circle of people who knew the Brief's family personally.

"Tell me, how much do you guys know about Capsule Corporation?"

The three teens gave the two of them identical confused looks. Videl shook her head and stared at Gohan quizzically.

"What does Capsule Corporation have to do with your Godmother? I mean the headquarters is in West City but…"

Her eyes snapped open and she glanced between Gohan and Lime, catching them both by surprise.

"No way… There's no way…"

The two blondes looked at her with the same confused looks they were wearing before, not making the connection she just had. Gohan sighed and nodded.

"Yea, you got it Videl. Bulma Brief is my godmother."

***THE NEXT MORNING – SATAN MANSION***

_**Beep. Beep. Beep. Beep. Beep. Smack!**_

Videl groaned and rolled herself over, cracking her eyes open to look at her alarm clock.

_Ugh… Six thirty. Why did I get up at six thirty? It's the weekend._

She pushed herself into the sitting position, rubbing the sleep from her eyes as a dim light from the sun just past the horizon lit her room with a soft twilight glow. She looked around, trying to remember why she was awake so early, and noticed that her backpack was full and propped up against the door, ready for her to leave. She stared at it in confusion for a second until the previous day's conversation came flooding back to her.

_Capsule Corp! Gohan is Bulma Briefs' godson! He and Lime have been living there the entire year and they didn't tell us! I can't really say I blame them, but still! Oh why do I care? I get to stay there for a week!_

She flung the covers from herself and rushed into her bathroom, washing quickly and dressing herself in her bicycle shorts and white t-shirt. She couldn't dampen her excitement and rushed out her door, bag in hand, running down the hall. She paused in the kitchen to grab a cup of coffee and say goodbye to her father, who she noted was beginning to get himself back into shape since he had kicked his alcohol problem a month prior.

_Shoot, he might even be ready to fight in the tournament next at the end of next month! _

Finished with her hasty breakfast, she ran out her front door, noticing that there was already a limo waiting for her just outside the front gate of her property. As she neared, the window rolled down to reveal an excited looking Erasa, who had gotten herself all dressed up for the occasion of meeting the world's most influential and wealthy woman. Videl waved and smiled wide at her best friend.

"Hi Erasa! Is Sharpie in there?"

"Yea he's here, and conked out!"

She saw the girl shift in her seat and heard a muffled cry as she kicked the boy across from him. Videl laughed and made to open the door, only for it to open before she could touch the handle. She "eep"ed and jumped back, retracting her hand and earning a giggle from the Blonde on the other side.

"It got me too! Sharpie got hit full on in the face when he went for it!"

Videl recovered from her shock and settled herself into the back of the car, settling her backpack between her legs on the floor and signaling to the driver that she was set. There was no reply through the tinted window, but the door shut and the car took off, surprising her by lifting off into the air. She clutched onto the chicken handle and grimaced, trying to settle her stomach. True to Erasa's word, Sharpener was dozing in the seat across from them, his head lolling to the side.

"Gosh, you'd think he never slept or something? Anyways, what do you think Gohan's family is going to be like?"

The blonde next to her paused in her applying of mascara and smiled over at her friend.

"Honestly? Pretty crazy if I had to guess. I mean, his mother is a former world champion, he calls his little brother, sister and their friend the 'demon trio', and his godmother is the world's most famous woman! I tell you what girl, I'm almost regretting telling you I wouldn't go after Gohan!"

Videl blushed and glared at her friend, who didn't realize how much her statement had actually affected her. But to keep up her image, she denied it.

"I already told you, there's nothing between me and Gohan! We're just friends!"

The blonde rolled her eyes and smirked, but didn't respond.

It didn't take long for the trip to end, and soon the light from outside stopped flowing in as the limo settled on the private landing pad within the Capsule Corp compound. Erasa and Videl looked out the windows excitedly, taking in their surroundings and waking Sharpener in the process. His eyes snapped open as he realized where they were, and immediately pushed a button on the inside of the door, opening it outwards. The three teens disembarked into the early morning sun, and stared in awe towards the three huge domes that made up Capsule Corporation headquarters. They were nearest the smallest of the three large domes, which was lined with windows.

As soon as they had left the Limo, it pulled away and circled around the domes, leaving the three teens standing there watching after it. Erasa's eyes widened and she stared at the ground by her feet.

"Oh my, I forgot my bags in the trunk! Oh darn where did he drive off to!"

"Don't worry about it Erasa, your bags will be moved to your room automatically. He's programmed to do that too."

The three teens started at the familiar voice and turned in the direction of a smaller building that was nestled next to the smaller dome behind them. Gohan strode to them, dressed in his Navy fighting gi with the red long sleeve shirt. He looked slightly ruffled, like he had been working out, though there wasn't a bead of sweat on his forehead and his hair stuck out in its usual careless style. Videl felt her stomach stir again at the sight of him in a form-fitting fighting uniform.

_Dammit! Why does he have to look so good in literally _everything _I see him wear? _

He strode over to them, rolling his shoulders as he neared. She noticed him wince as his left one popped when he rolled it and he raised his right hand to massage his left. He smiled nervously at the group and raised his hands out to his sides.

"Well… Umm welcome to Capsule Corporation! I should warn you now, Bulma's husband is an extremely short-tempered man, and he doesn't like trespassers. So for now, you guys should probably stick with m-"

"BRAT! WHO THE HELL ARE THOSE PEOPLE?"

Gohan sighed and glared skyward, begging Dende to strike the short man with lightning. Knowing that the bolt would not come, he stood to the side as the prince approached with a mean scowl on his face and his arms crossed in front of his bare chest. He was wearing his usual training clothes of a pair of shorts and sneakers.

_Kami that guy is completely ripped! Not even my dad in his prime had muscles like that! Oh damn I bet that Gohan is just as defined as him!_

Videl's stomach twisted in a knot at the thought, and she shook her head to rid herself of the image. Now wasn't the time for her to be fantasizing about the tall teen.

"These, _your highness, _are my friends from school. Videl, Erasa, and Sharpener. Guys, this egotistical airhead is Vegeta. He's Bulma's husband and my training partner."

"Shut your trap Brat, unless you want to get back in the GR."

Gohan simply smirked and crossed his arms, knowing that he could take the prince whenever he wanted to. No matter how hard the prince trained, he was unable to surpass Gohan's ability in the last seven years. The prince returned his glare to the three teenagers who all had different expressions on their faces.

Erasa was staring at him with nothing short of admiration and lust in her eyes, her hands clasped firmly in front of her. Sharpener was sizing him up, obviously confused as to how such a short man could possibly think that Hercule, the world's savior, was a joke. The blonde held his tongue however, remembering the warnings of both Gohan and Lime the day before. Videl kept her face as neutral as possible, barely able to hide her contempt for the short man's attitude. His gaze lingered on her for a moment, and she swore she saw him sniff the air and glance at Gohan next to her.

"Fine, so be it. Just keep them away from the woman's work areas and my training room. You know the drill."

He turned on his heel and walked back towards the small building that he and Gohan had emerged from. Gohan shook his head and sighed.

"Right _Veggie_, just remember not to touch any of them. You remember what happened last time!"

Videl smirked when the older man tensed and glared over his shoulder at the teens, but didn't say anything in response. He merely grunted and walked into the building, shutting a heavy metal door behind him and locking it.

Gohan planted his hands on his hips and cleared his throat, getting the other's attention.

"So yea, that's Vegeta. Anyways, let's get you settled in. Lime will probably be getting up soon and Bulma is likely already out and about."

He turned and started to lead the way towards a pair of double doors in the side of the dome, grabbing Videl's and Sharpener's bags, one in each hand.

"What about your mother and your little siblings?"

He paused as they reached the door, standing slightly off to the side and leaning forward to speak into a microphone set in the wall.

"Voice verification. Gohan Son, and three guests."

The wall slid to the side to reveal an eye piece, which Gohan set his face next to.

"The others will be getting here sometime around lunch according to Bulma, so you guys will just have to wait to meet them."

The scanner flashed, taking a picture of his iris and verifying it against the data on record. With a light ding and a hissing sound, the two doors swung inwards revealing a long hallway that ran a significant ways into the building before ending in a tinted glass door. Gohan hefted the bags and began the trek into the building. The three others followed him, soaking up all the details they could take in as they walked past picture after picture.

Most of them were pictures of the Briefs family, occasionally mixed in with some celebrity or another, and on multiple occasions a slightly younger version of the man walking before the teens with his facial scar and all. Videl couldn't help but notice several older pictures of Bulma when she had to have been in her early twenties, accompanied by Yamcha Bandit and a tall man that looked startlingly like Gohan, though his hair stuck out In a much crazier fashion. The man wore a bright orange gi and a carefree grin. He had his bare arm thrown around her shoulders and was flashing the camera with a victory sign.

_That's got to be Goku there. Man Gohan looks just like him when you take away the scar._

Her thoughts were interrupted when they walked through the tinted glass doors at the end of the hall and emerged in a huge open area with early morning sunlight pouring in from the domed windows at the top of the room. The three teens collectively gasped at the sight before them. It seemed that they had just walked into an enormous resort. In the center of the open space was a large pool and Jacuzzi combo, nestled into the ground next to a full gym and a sparring ring roped out on a grassy patch. Further down on either side there was open grassy space, enough to play a game of football on. There were trees and vegetation scattered about here and there, but the room felt anything but crowded. Gohan paused and set the two bags off to the side of the hall and turned towards his friends.

"This is the rec-room. There's more things to do in here but I think I'm going to have to let you explore to find out just how much. From this room you can get anywhere in the family dome, which is this building."

He pointed a finger on each hand towards both sides, indicating a single door nestled into the wall on either side of the one they had just emerged from.

"Those doors go to the Son and Brief's wards of the building. They're marked, so don't worry, you won't accidentally walk into the wrong one. You'll be staying in the Son ward by the way, I'll get you access codes to get in there in a minute."

He smiled at their looks of awe and pointed over his shoulder at the opposite wall, where there were three doors. The one on the left had a large sign over it that said "Guest Ward", the center said "Kitchen", and the one on the right said "Entertainment Room".

"Those three go off to the other sections of the building, and they're unsecured. You can go in whenever you want, though you won't be able to access any of the hotel rooms without a key. The kitchen is running twenty-four-seven, and the Entertainment room has a theater, several game systems, and things like that. That door at the end of the room down there goes to the main building. Don't try to get through that without access, you'll fail."

He gestured for them to lead the way into the large room. Videl took in as much as she could. It was amazing, a marvel of architecture and engineering. The walls gracefully arced together towards the top of the room, forming the top of the dome. The walls had windows in rows on both sides, overlooking the rec-room. They walked by the pool, which Videl noticed was a whopping twenty feet deep at one end, and the hot tub bubbled invitingly.

_I'm definitely going to need to spend some time in there._

"Let's head on over to the kitchen guys. I think that it's time you met your hostess."

The two blondes exchanged excited looks and smiled at each other. Videl could feel excitement bubbling in her as well, and felt her cheeks begin to warm with an excited flush. She fought to compose herself, but ultimately failed to hide the smile that shone on her face. Gohan chuckled and shook his head, stepping forward as they reached the door and pulling it open.

"TRUNKS BRIEF! YOU GET YOUR BUTT BACK HERE THIS INSTANT!"

Gohan was suddenly flung backwards with a loud grunt and landed on his back behind the three stunned teens. They blinked down at him, trying to understand what they were seeing. There appeared to be a very dazed and confused lavender haired child laying across his broad chest, clutching a computer chip in his small hand. Videl recovered from her shock and glanced back towards the kitchen door.

_Where the hell did he come from? I swear I didn't see him run into Gohan. Kami how fast was he moving?_

Gohan shook his head and grabbed the boy by the back of his t-shirt, lifting him to hang in the air in front of his face as Gohan sat up.

"Umm… Gohan? Are you okay?"

At Videl's words, Trunks seemed to realize where he was and looked around quickly for his mother, panic written across his face. He realized why he was unable to move and stared at Gohan with fear filled eyes, clutching the chip to his chest. He gulped when Gohan gave him an evil smirk that could have rivaled Vegetas. Trunks found his voice, but was barely able to let out more than a whisper.

"H-Hi Gohan. Sorry, I didn't see you there. Could… Could you let me go? _Please_? She's gonna kill me!"

Gohan chuckled and pushed himself up from the ground, still dangling the child in front of his face, his smirk never leaving his face.

"Oh I don't know Trunks, you did just knock the wind out of me. What did you take this time?"

"Heh… Heh heh… nothing?"

He tried to conceal the chip in his hands, a nervous smiled on his face. The voice that had rung out moments before sounded right behind him, catching the attention of the three teens and Trunks, who blanched and froze completely in Gohan's grasp.

"If 'nothing' translates into 'the control board for the food module in the kitchen' in any language you speak Gohan, then he's telling the truth."

The three teens stared in open wonder at Bulma as she strode out of the kitchen dressed in a pair of sweat pants and a t-shirt. She hadn't done anything with her hair, which frizzed out lazily in her short haircut she had taken up, and she wore an irritated glare directed at her son. Videl laughed inwardly at her careless appearance, having half expected to see her in the business suit she wore for press conferences. It was nice to see that the older woman liked to relax when not in front of the camera.

Gohan chuckled and held his hand out, palm up in front of the boy's face. Trunks averted his eyes and placed the chip in his hand, then withdrew his hand and twiddled his thumbs together, staring at the ground below him.

"Trunks, you've got guests in the house. Try to behave okay? Just remember that when the twins get here I won't hesitate to make you and Goten look like cross-dressers again. Got it?"

Trunks cringed, his eyes snapping wide. He squirmed against Gohan's grasp, and as soon as the tall teen let go he shot off in the opposite direction, leaving Bulma and Gohan in a fit of laughter and the three teens in a state of bewilderment. Bulma recovered from her laughter and walked over to Gohan to take the chip from his hand, stepping up and giving him a kiss on the cheek in the process. She noticed the three out of the corner of her eye watching the two of them and turned her gaze upon them, inspecting the three friends that she had heard so much about from Lime.

"Well Gohan, are you going to introduce me?"

Gohan shuffled nervously, and cleared his throat, looking at his three friends.

"Guys, this is my godmother; Bulma Brief. Bulma, this is Sharpener, Erasa, and Videl."

She inspected the three quickly as they were introduced. The tall blonde guy was watching her with a wide-eyed expression akin to both lust and awe. She congratulated herself inside her head, glad that even at her age she could still catch the attention of the younger crowd. The other blonde in the group looked like she was about to burst with excitement, and Bulma knew that she was in for a long conversation with the girl. When Gohan introduced the short raven-haired girl however, she was momentarily shocked.

_My gosh, _she's _the daughter of Hercule Satan? She's grown into a beautiful woman hasn't she? Last time I saw her she was still only a child. Both of these girls are very good looking! I'm amazed that Gohan hasn't made a move on either of them… Damn, Chi Chi is going to push this on him, I already know it…_

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Mrs. Brief!"

Videl bowed slightly to the other woman, and the two blondes followed suit. Bulma smiled brightly at them, blushing slightly at the unusual display of respect.

"Please you three, just call me Bulma. You're all friends of Gohan's and Lime's, and therefore friends of mine. Now come on, I'm sure you all need some food. After you've eaten Gohan can show you to your rooms."

The three righted themselves and followed after the blue haired genius, picking up an excited conversation about nothing in particular, just excited to be speaking to her. Gohan chuckled and followed them, knowing that his godmother was loving the attention.

They entered the kitchen, and Bulma strode over to a large juke-box like machine that had a conveyor belt emerging from a hole in the side. She opened a panel, leaning into the machine for a moment while she replaced the chip her son had removed earlier. A quiet click could be heard from within the box, and it powered up with a soft whirring noise. The blue-haired hostess emerged from her work and shut the panel with a smile, dusting off her hands and turning to the teens. Gohan stood off to the side with his arms crossed, a small smile on his face. Bulma indicated towards the machine with a proud grin.

"This is my answer to the insane appetite of _some _people I know. My husband, son, and godchildren all have a tendency to wipe out whatever eating establishment they go to, and my kitchen is no exception. Gohan, if you would be so kind as to demonstrate how it works? That is, if my son didn't do any permanent damage to it…"

The three teens looked at Gohan curiously, wondering how the little box in front of them had anything to do with food, or Gohan's ridiculous appetite. The boy strode past them, uncrossing his arms and pressing a little red button. A little red light lit up at the top of the machine, and Gohan leaned in to speak into a microphone jutting out of the front panel.

"The usual Gohan breakfast. No biscuits please."

He released the button and stood straight while the machine processed his request. Bulma stood to the side, watching it expectantly. The machine flashed a green light at them twice and whirred into life. Bulma raised her voice to be heard over the hum of the machine.

"So this thing works by taking food that has been cooked in the kitchen and then capsulized in stasis, and decapsulizing it right onto the belt! The whole process takes about ten seconds for a meal the size these boys eat, and even less for us normal people. It even does cappuccino! My dad's idea."

She giggled, remembering the time that her father had nearly prevented Goku from flying to Namek on the grounds that his ship didn't have a cappuccino machine installed on it.

_Some things never change._

The machine started up the conveyor belt motor, and three large trays of food emerged from the hole in the side, gliding out and stacked with all sorts of food for the tall teen. The three teens, already knowing of their friend's unusual eating habits, instead marveled at the machine before them. While Gohan collected his food and left to begin eating, Videl peered around the side of the machine as best she could, trying to figure out the intricacies of it.

"Hey Bulma, just curious you said the food was capsulized? How does it get heated when it decapsulized, and where are all the capsules stored? Your 'storage' capsules leave behind shells when they open don't they?"

The blue haired genius grinned at her, gesturing to the teen behind them who was now digging into his breakfast with Gusto.

"Credit for that one goes to Gohan! He came up with the idea for a one-time use capsule that leaves no residue, doesn't contaminate food, and burns away upon decapsulization, heating the contents within! He built the prototypes and everything, but it's still too pricey to put on the market yet. So it's more of an 'in-house' project for now."

Gohan paused his eating as the three teens stared at him with dumbfounded expressions. He swallowed and blushed lightly.

"What? It's no big deal really, it just occurred to me one day last year."

Sharpener laughed and clapped him on the shoulder.

"Oh come on nerd-boy! Give yourself some credit, that's brilliant!"

Gohan just shrugged and returned to his food. Bulma rolled her eyes and smirked, leaning over to the two girls standing next to her and muttering behind her hand.

"Boy needs to give himself some credit for his brain. He's way beyond what I could have ever hoped to be at his age intellectually. Don't tell him I said it, but for all of his brains the kid is as dense as a rock sometimes."

The three of them chuckled and Videl swore she saw him give his godmother a glare between mouthfuls of food.

"Anyways, you three get some food, and then Gohan will show you to your rooms. Don't worry about your luggage, the bots have already moved it all. Feel free to roam about the place, but please don't go in the main building or into the smaller room outside labeled GR. That's where you'll usually find my husband, and he's not overly fond of guests."

Gohan snorted and rolled his eyes, never ceasing his assault on his breakfast.

"And Gohan, just so you know, your family will be arriving a little later than planned today. Chi said something about an 'alternative mode of transportation' or something like that. I think the kids hid the keys to the car or something. Whatever the case may be, I'm leaving these three in your care. Unfortunately I have to do work until this evening, someone decided it would be a good idea to allow one of the interns work on the newest space-craft and somehow the kid managed to destroy half of the control console."

Gohan paused and quirked an eyebrow at her in silent question. She shook her head and scowled.

"Believe me, you don't want to know. Anyways I'll see you all later! Watch out for my son, and have fun while you're here okay?"

With that she waved at them and disappeared out the door that they had come in, leaving the teens to their breakfast and playing twenty questions with their onyx-eyed teen about what there was to do at Capsule Corporation.

Ten minutes into their breakfast, the door opened again and Lime walked in stretching with her hands behind her head and yawning. Her usually neat auburn hair was down and quite frizzy, and she was only clad in pajama pants and a tank top. She halted in the doorway, blankly staring at them for a moment before realizing who it was she was looking at. She glanced over at the clock above the fridge and laughed nervously, catching their attention.

"You guys are nuts! I thought you were kidding when you said you wanted to be here before seven-thirty! I'd have gotten dressed if I knew you were actually going to be here."

Gohan laughed and rolled his eyes at her, pointing a thumb over his shoulder at the food machine.

"Lime, just hush and get your coffee. It's just us, not the media."

She smirked and stuck her tongue out at him, but did as he said and joined them moments later, plopping down heavily in the chair next to her adopted brother.

"So guys, what do you want to do first? I mean you've got a week here to do literally whatever you want!"

Videl felt her eyes drawn once again to the tall onyx-eyed teen who sat across from her.

'Hear that Videl? _Do _whatever you want!'

_Oh shut up! Would you stay out of my mind!_

'Don't try to deny it! You want to see it all!'

_So?! Time and place girl, and I highly doubt this is it!_

'Why not? You're in his home, on vacation with nobody but friends around and _so _many places to get him alone with you.'

_He's not interested! He's just a friend, and I don't think that he'll be alright with it if I made a move on him!_

'You won't know until you try.'

She kicked herself in her mind, trying to rid it of the thoughts she was having. She hated that she was so attracted to the tall boy, but she'd be damned if there was anything she could do about it. Especially since she had learned of his past, the guy had just seemed so imperfectly perfect. She just wanted to comfort him, to be there in his life and have him there in return for her. On top of that, she thought he was just down-right sexy, and that was with the clothes still on.

"Well I'll tell you what _I _want to do! That pool looked amazing, so did the Jacuzzi. I noticed Videl was eyeing it hopefully too."

Erasa smiled slyly at her raven haired friend, making her cheeks flush with color. She didn't notice that across the table from her, Gohan was also blushing furiously, remembering the last time he had seen Videl in swim-wear. Sharpener clapped him on the back excitedly, his face composed into a grin and showing no signs that he had noticed his friend's blush either.

"Yea, I'm down! Gohan you in?"

"Ummm I don-"

Lime cut him off by smacking his arm lightly.

"Pshht! Come on Gohan it's just these three! Hell they've all seen you in those t-shirts you wear under your normal clothes and those don't hide that much!"

He frowned, furrowing his brow and staring at the table.

"Lime. You know exactly why I don't go around shirtless. What're they going to think?"

Sharpener's jaw dropped at his question, flabbergasted that his friend would ask such a thing. Across from him, Erasa smirked and crossed her arms.

"Oh. Come. _On_ man! What've you got to hide from us? We're your friends!"

"Besides! From what I've seen, you've got no reason to hide that bod!"

Videl's eyes widened and she tried to look anywhere but at the teen, trying to push the heat in her face away.

_Oh he's got a lot he's hiding from us, that's for sure. But it's true he really shouldn't be ashamed of that body. Just the little bit's I've seen…_

He growled and ran a hand through his midnight black hair, looking nervously out of the side of his eyes at Lime, who was giving him a "Just do it" sort of glare. For a few seconds he just gazed at her, contemplating what he should do. Finally making up his mind, he sighed and rested his head on his hand, propping it up on the table and glaring at his now empty trays in defeat.

"Fine, but don't be surprised when I get to say I told you so."

"Oh hush you big baby. You three got bathing suits?"

Sharpener and Erasa both nodded excitedly, eager to try out the rec-room they had been eyeing only a short while before. Videl laughed nervously and scratched her cheek in embarrassment, trying to hide her still flushed face.

"Nope, didn't really think about it. You have one I can wear Lime?"

The brunette laughed good-naturedly and waved of the question.

"Of course I have one you can wear! After all, you let me borrow one when we were at your house! It's the least I could do for you."

Gohan sighed heavily and stood, pushing his chair back and collecting up the trays scattered about the table.

"Well then, let's get you all moved into your rooms then. I'll have to dig for my swim trunks a bit, so I'll be late coming down. Lime, can you get Videl her codes and show her to your room once you're done with her?"

Lime nodded excitedly, not saying a word as she grabbed her raven haired friend by the hand, dragging her away from the table with a small "eep" and running off to the Son ward.

***LIME'S ROOM***

Lime burst through her door, dragging a slightly exasperated Videl behind her and shutting the door behind them. Immediately, she began rummaging through a large dresser while Videl took in the room around her. It was beautiful. Not overly decorated. Simple, yet very refined and extremely comfortable looking. Across from the dresser lime stood at was a large queen size bed with a fluffy looking comforter and several pillows. A simple pair of night-stands held a picture of what Videl guessed was Lime's family, and one of her and Gohan.

The Gohan in the picture was much younger, and she could only tell it was him by the scar on his face. They must have been around the age of twelve or thirteen, and he was dressed in a traditional white shirt and black trousers. He carried his adopted sister in his arms bridal style, and she noticed with a start that his hair was a bright blonde, and his eyes were teal.

_His gold fighter form! I already knew I was right thanks to 18, but still… To see it for myself? Ahhh I wish I were able to just talk to him about this! I just want to be able to talk to him! Is that so much to ask?_

"Hey Videl, what color do you want? I got blue, yell-… Videl?"

Videl continued to stare at the picture, lost in thought. She wasn't ignoring the girl, but there was so much she wanted to ask, even though she knew she couldn't. Lime traced her gaze, and blanched when she noticed which picture the raven haired beauty was staring at. She opened her mouth to say something, but Videl cut her off.

"How did you do it?"

Lime furrowed her brow and shut her mouth, looking at the picture, trying to find the meaning of her friend's question. How had she done what? The question she had been expecting was more along the lines of "why is Gohan's hair blonde?". She tore her gaze from the picture when she noticed that Videl was now sitting on the edge of the bed, staring at her knees with an expression filled with confusion and sorrow. Lime's heart nearly broke at the sight of her friend looking so down, but didn't know what to say. She was so lost at her question. Instead she just strode over and sat on the bed next to her, dropping the swimwear back in the drawer and picking up the photo to examine it.

"How did I do what?"

Videl laced her fingers together nervously, gazing longingly at the picture again.

"Well I mean… He's just so… Well… Happy in the picture. He's so open with you, and I know that you know everything there is to know about him. How did you gain his trust when he's so… So…"

Lime nodded in understanding and finished the thought for her.

"Distant? Videl I knew him before he lost his… The person he loved more than any other at the time, and he wasn't like this back then. He was happy, outgoing, and very nervous around new people. I've been with him the whole way through this transformation he's taken."

Videl nodded, her frown unwavering. Lime replaced the picture and tried to think of what to say to the girl when a thought occurred to her. She paused momentarily, watching her friend closely as she gazed at her hands. Slowly, the corners of her lips curled upwards and her eyes twinkled as she started connecting the dots.

"Videl, there's more to this than you're letting on isn't there?"

Her cerulean eyes widened and her face blushed as she stared at her friend. Her mouth hung slightly agape and she was struggling to make her voice work through her nervousness. Lime shushed her and laid a hand on top of Videl's, ecstatic at what she had just learned from her reaction.

"It's okay girl, don't be nervous about it! It's hard not to be attracted to him, I know! You want to know how to get closer to him because you want him for yourself right?"

Videl sighed in defeat, glancing down nervously.

"Well… Yea, I can't help it really. He's just so… You know…"

Lime giggled and held up her hand to number off his attributes on her fingers.

"Strong. Mysterious. Hard-to-get. Sexy. Definitely sexy."

"Lime! That's not what I was getting at and you know it!"

Lime laughed at her friends frustration and stood again, striding back over to the dresser and tossing a blue bikini top and bottom over her shoulder at the girl before grabbing her own red one and striding to the bathroom to change. Videl sat patiently on the edge of the bed, gnawing on her lower lip nervously before glancing towards the door.

"Hey Lime, could you not tell anyone about this conversation please? Erasa likes to play matchmaker with me, and I don't want Gohan to push me away more than he already has."

"Hey, why would I tell anyone? I think it's great that you like him! He's been so isolated from people that he's never even had a girlfriend before! He's a master of fighting, but in the department of love, he's a complete newbie! I swear if he wasn't so stubborn, he could go for any girl he wanted! All he would have to do is take his shirt off in public and they'd be all over him!"

Videl considered her words, making a mental note that he should probably avoid doing that. But the mental image she had been having of the boy returned in full force as Lime opened the door and strode out, donning a t-shirt over her bikini and smiling brightly at Videl. The raven haired beauty felt her face grow hot, and nervously glanced over at her friend, stumbling over her words as she asked what was on her mind.

"I've had my suspicions… That he's extremely muscular and whatnot, but he say's he's got something to hide. Just how… umm… how hot is he really?"

Lime quirked an eyebrow at her, a devious smirk playing on her face. She chuckled and leaned up against the dresser.

"Oh girl, you have no idea. Tell you what, get changed and he'll show you himself down by the pool. Just try to remember to hold onto your jaw?"

***TWENTY MINUTES LATER – AT THE POOL***

Videl coughed and sputtered, blinking the water out of her eyes and glaring hard at the spot where Sharpener had just cannon-balled into. She swam her way to the edge of the pool and pulled herself up so that she was sitting on the edge. Erasa walked over from her spot near the edge of the pool, clad in her lime-green bikini that revealed so much of her curvy figure, and sat next to her best friend. She smiled and glanced at the scar on her shoulder, poking at it and making Videl look down at the wound.

"That healed up really nice! Much better than the one on your leg. It's too bad though, you've got such smooth skin, and here you are with scars that mess it up."

Videl pouted and subconsciously rubbed her left shoulder with her right hand, giving her friend an offended look. Sharpener swam over towards them with a sly grin on his face, and he tread water just out of arm's reach from Videl.

"Oh come on Erasa, it doesn't make her look any worse! I still think you're hot!"

Videl rolled her eyes before giving him a "do you really want to continue this conversation" type look. He laughed nervously and backpedaled a few feet before halting and waving to someone behind the two girls. Videl turned around to see Gohan striding towards them, clad in a loose black t-shirt and a pair of red swim trunks. He looked nervous, and his skin was slightly paler than normal. He gave them a half-hearted wave and walked part way to the pool, sitting on the edge of a tanning chair.

"Come on brains! Get in, the water is great!"

Lime sighed and opened her eyes to glare at her adopted brother, frustration clear on her face. Couldn't he just get over it and get in the damned pool?

"Gohan! Just do it already! Kami nothing bad is going to happen! I swear, you can be such a worry-wart sometimes!"

Videl watched his expression change from worry to annoyance and then to defeat and nervousness in a split second. He sighed heavily and stood, crossing his arms in front of his stomach and grabbing onto the bottom of his shirt. Videl held her breath, not daring to take her eyes off of the young man. He pulled his arms up, removing the shirt in one motion and dropping it on the chair he had been occupying seconds before.

_Oh. My. Kami…_

She could practically hear Erasa's jaw crash to the deck next to the pool, and she let out a tiny "wow" as she openly stared at him. Sharpener let out a low whistle of amazement and continued to tread water. Her own shock matched theirs. She had seen Vegeta that morning in nothing but a small pair of shorts, and she had imagined that Gohan looked as impressive. But this?

Every muscle on his body was swollen with the results of years of hard work, and each one was toned to perfection. His well-muscled chest rippled with every motion he made, and his wash-board abs were defined with an emphasis that made Videl's stomach churn with desire. His shoulders were broad and sharp with definition, and she felt a pang of recognition at the huge white scar that covered his left shoulder down to his perfectly sculpted bicep.

_Of course, dad said he was hurt bad on his shoulder. There's no way he would have not gotten a scar, but Kami that thing is huge!_

She studied him for what felt like an hour, observing every detail she could. She noticed that like her, his body was covered in scars and signs of abuse, though his collection of scars far exceeded her own. She hated her scars, knowing that each one represented a mistake, and thought that hey marred her appearance. But on him, she couldn't thing anything but how much more amazing it made him look. It made him look even stronger than his sculpted muscles ever could on their own, and she could feel the desire to run her hands over him and explore emerge again.

She felt her stomach churn, and blushed furiously when she realized that her mouth was hanging wide open. She felt a heat run from her core to her heart, which was pounding in her chest and all the way back down to between her legs. Suddenly thankful that she wasn't a guy, she slid herself quickly into the cool water of the pool in an attempt to calm down, leaving a still stunned Erasa and Sharpener at the edge of the pool.

_Holy shit! Lime wasn't kidding when she said I had no idea..._

**A/N: Stay tuned for the next one, it's going to resume immediately after this one! On another note, just wanted to mention that I don't intend to have a full on lemon scene in this story, as that's not the purpose of it. There shall probably be a couple spurts of citrusy goodness here and there, but nothing full on I think. ANYWHATS, I hope you enjoyed!**


	15. A Dangerous Prospect

**Hey guys! Well, here's the next chapter! Like I said, it's a continuation of the last one. Next one is in the works, and just FYI it's not the tournament! Not yet anyways. You'll see what's going to happen soon enough! Keep the reviews coming, I get a lot of ideas based on what is said, even indirectly. R&R and enjoy!**

**Chapter 15 - A Dangerous Prospect**

***CAPSULE CORPORATION POOL***

_Well… Here goes nothing…_

Gohan inhaled deeply, and in one motion, lifted his Black shirt over his head and off of his body. He could feel their eyes on him as he stripped down to his swim trunks. There was an audible gasp and a very quiet "wow" from one of the girls, and someone let out a low whistle. He could feel the heat rush to his face and he glanced nervously over at the three teens by the edge of the pool, steadily making his way towards them.

Erasa and Videl both were staring at him wide-eyed. He hated to admit it to himself, but he was pleased to see that their looks were that of admiration as much as shock. He watched Videl's eyes trace their glare over his body, pausing momentarily on his left shoulder. A pained expression took over her face, and Gohan felt uneasiness settle into his stomach.

_Great, I knew it… Just another thing for them to ask me about. I don't think I could handle talking about it with them. I can barely talk to Lime about it._

He neared the edge of the pool, and suddenly caught a scent that shot a jolt down his spine. It was sweet, but not flowery or candy-like, and it churned his stomach in a manner completely foreign to him. There was no way for him to describe the scent as it assaulted his senses, and momentarily stunned him into inaction. His heart rate shot up and he tensed nervously, trying to understand what was going on. Suddenly, as soon as it appeared, it was gone.

_Okay what the hell was that?! What could have that sort of effect on me?_

He shook his head and glanced around, noticing that Videl had disappeared into the depths of the pool, and Sharpener had just emerged from it and was standing at the edge, arms crossed and his eyes still wide as he approached. Erasa was still seated on the edge of the pool, her breath slightly faster than normal as she continued to stare at the demi-saiyan.

"Okay man, what the hell?! I work out on a daily basis to get this look, but you? How in the hell? What do you do?!"

Gohan quirked an eyebrow at the boy, not halting and glancing down at himself in confusion. He knew that he was far beyond that of what an average human was capable of, considering that even in full-blooded Saiyan standards, he was in extremely good shape. But Sharpener's question hadn't been the one he was expecting in the least.

_I can't look that different, I mean Sharpener himself is pretty well defined, so the only thing that should have appeared too strange is the scars. I mean, did they not notice the giant white star plastered over my shoulder? Or the other countless small scars from previous battles? Well let's hope that it means they don't care._

"Well, I've been on the same workout routine since I was a small child, and I've been training for fights just as long. Mostly body-weight exercises and things like that, but sometimes I'll just wear weighted clothing."

He shrugged, and continued to the edge of the pool, pausing next to sharpener and a still stunned Erasa. He glanced around and noticed that Videl was emerging from the other side of the pool. She pulled herself up, the water rushing out of her long hair and down her ivory skin, and Gohan felt his stomach churn again as her figure was revealed to him in the bikini she had borrowed. He sensed someone stand next to him, and turned his gaze to Erasa as she prodded him in the stomach curiously. He flinched and backed away from her, his stomach tightening in a spasm slightly as her finger found a ticklish spot.

"Hey don't do that! Not funny!"

Erasa attempted to stifle a giggle as she realized she had just discovered one of Gohan's weaknesses. She ultimately failed, falling into a fit of laughter. Gohan crossed his arms and pouted at her, further fueling her mirth. He could hear Lime from her place in the hot tub laughing at him, and he noticed that Videl had joined her there and was fighting to control her own fit of laughter. He heard a snort from right next to him and turned his head towards Sharpener just in time to see his arm retract and push him right in the back.

For all of Gohan's training, and his natural prowess due to his genes, he was completely caught off guard by the shove, and Sharpener was strong for a human. He tumbled forward with a yelp and splashed face-first into the cold water of the pool, making him subconsciously cringe and freeze. He could hear the muffled laughter of his friends as he righted himself below the water and glared up through the wavy surface at the blurry forms of the blondes, his face set into a glare.

_So that's how they want to play?_

He smirked as an idea popped into his head, and he spiked his ki, searching for a certain lavender haired demi-saiyan. Finding him, he used his limited ability of telepathy that Piccolo had taught him to send brief message to Trunks. He pushed off of the floor of the pool, satisfied that the blondes would get theirs once they fell asleep that night. His head broke the surface, and he shot them both a silent glare, freezing them in place, panic clearly written on their faces. He smirked, his glare slowly changing to a devious smile, and he shot forward, grabbing them by the ankles and jerking them into the pool over his head. The two blondes screeched in panic before crashing into the water, reducing Gohan to full on laughter at discovering Sharpener screamed like a girl when he panicked.

***OVER AT THE HOT TUB***

Videl laughed at the blonde teens' predicament. The smile on her face was mirrored by Limes as they sat back, relaxing in the hot water of the Jacuzzi. Lime sighed deeply, placing her arms on the edge of the small pool and leaning back into a set of water-jets at her back. Videl did likewise, letting her mind and body relax completely. She closed her eyes and for a few minutes, just listened to the other three wrestle and generally have a good time. She heard her best friend giggle and squeal and cracked her eyes just in time to see Gohan toss her high into the air and disappear into the water. She caught sight of his expression of joy, and felt a pang of jealousy towards the blonde, surprising herself.

"So Videl, now that you've seen it, was I right or what?"

Videl started and looked over at Lime, who was still leaned back against the edge of the pool with her eyes closed and a sly smirk on her face. She felt her face grow hot, even over the heat rising of the Jacuzzi, but couldn't hide the small smile that crossed her face as she viewed the mental snapshot of Gohan.

"Yea, definitely beyond what I could have ever imagined. It's no wonder he doesn't take it off in public… Though I think his reason is different isn't it?"

Lime cracked her eyes, her expression suddenly curious.

"How do you mean?"

Videl furrowed her brow, trying to find the words to convey what she thought without letting on that she knew exactly how he had gotten at least one of the scars that decorated his perfect body.

"Well, I hide my scars from the public eye if I can, though they all know that I have them because the media can't help but get in my business when I get hurt on the job. It would only be natural for someone to start asking questions if he seemed less than normal. He barely want's attention from even us, much less the public eye. _That _is something I think we can all attest to."

_That and if the world knew he was the one to kill Cell, the entire world's perception on the truth would come crashing down, and I think he and I would agree that's not a good option. I can only assume that that's why he hasn't come forward yet._

Lime continued to gaze at the raven haired girl, contemplating her statement. She blinked a couple times and shrugged.

"Well yea, he really doesn't like attention, but that's really only part of the equation. I mean, you saw how hard it was for you three to get to the point that he really started relaxing around you right? Also, I know he's not blind."

Videl cocked her head to the side, questioning her silently. Lime smirked and quirked an eyebrow at her.

"Ah, then you _didn't _see his face when you got out of the pool to come over here?"

Lime giggled as Videl blushed and glanced over to the pool quickly. Her and Gohan's eyes met as he surfaced, shaking the water from his hair, which was still standing stiff despite the water that clung to it. He grinned at her from the pool before quickly turning and swimming back over to where Erasa and Sharpener were waiting for him.

"Girl, you don't know him that well, so I can tell you honestly… He's got it bad for you!"

Videl's eyes snapped open and she stared at Lime, who was grinning from ear to ear.

"How can you tell? I mean, are you sure? He never acts like –"

"Videl chill! I don't think he even realizes it yet, or maybe he doesn't admit it himself, but I've never seen that look on his face until just then. He's always wearing the same expression, so it's easy to spot a different one, and I can definitely tell desire when I see it."

Videl's heart jumped in her chest, and she let a small smile play on her face as she watched her brunette friend. It was exactly what she had been hoping for, that mutual attraction. But she still had her doubts and reservations.

'See, now you go get him and satisfy that hunger of yours!'

_Ugh that's a horrible way to put it. Remember, he hasn't gotten to that point yet with me, no matter what he may subconsciously do._

'So pull it out of him! It's there, just reach down and grab it!'

_DIRTY! Besides, I don't want to force him to decide! I mean, he could completely shut down on me, and I may never get the chance to get him to open up._

As if she were reading the girls thoughts, Lime gently grabbed her shoulder. Videl emerged from her inner war and looked over at her, worry evident in her expression. Lime's expression wasn't quite happy, but instead like that of an older sister giving advice to a sibling who had done something wrong.

"Videl, don't push it on him okay? There's a reason he doesn't get too close to people, not even me. Believe me when I say that he's afraid of really getting close to someone, especially when it comes to the possibility of love. He's an older brother to me, and I love him as much as anyone could, and I know he loves me back, but he will never say it out loud. I havn't heard him say the words all but maybe a dozen times since I've known him, and it's always been towards his little brother and sister. It's a vulnerability to him, though I know he craves it just like any other. He knows the pain of loss very well, and he's not keen to experience it again."

Videl nodded, her eyes unfocused as she considered his situation. She was very knowledgeable when it came to the pain of loss, having experienced it both when her mother had left, and every time she had decided to personally inform the families of fallen officers of their fates. Of all the things that had ever happened to her, the worst times where when she felt the pain of loss.

"It was his father wasn't it? Goku was the person he lost that made him change?"

The words came out of her mouth before she could really register what she was doing, and she glanced nervously at Lime hoping she hadn't revealed too much. Lime only hesitated for a moment before grimacing and nodding. Those emerald eyes never left hers, and she knew that Lime was thinking hard about what she had said.

"I'm guessing you figured that one out thanks to my little slip-up at school that day? Do all three of you know?"

Videl just nodded, swallowing past the lump in her throat. She knew she was playing a dangerous game, giving hints to how much she knew about Gohan.

"Well, that little bit of information is not public knowledge, but it's not really that hard to figure out I guess. The world doesn't know that their former champion died all those years ago, but then Gohan and his friends don't speak about him either."

"Yea, I figured it out by piecing together what I knew. His mother is the Ox princess and all, but his father defeated the Demon King, _and _the red ribbon army by himself as a child. Yet he never spoke about him to us, it just seemed strange. And then that incident with the football team? It kinda just clicked into place."

Lime nodded, staring over at her adopted brother with a grim expression.

"Just don't bring it up okay? I've done it a few times, and it's very difficult to pull him out of that hole when he falls in. Eventually he'll come around and talk about it, but I don't think I'll ever be part of that conversation."

Emerald locked with cerulean as their eyes met, and Lime let out a small, sad smile.

"Who know's, maybe you'll be the one to crack that case?"

Videl's stomach plummeted at the girl's expression, and guilt washed over her. Here was someone who had been with the tall teen for years, telling her that she would not be the one to have such an important heart-to-heart with him. Instead she was suggesting that someone who had only known him for a couple months and had a severe crush on him would be the one.

Before anything else could be spoken between the two, the subject of their conversation made his appearance. He strode into the Jacuzzi and settled himself next to his adopted sister, across from Videl. He sighed and leaned back against the wall, shutting his eyes with a relaxed expression. Videl's focused hard, forcing herself to look anywhere but at his amazing form.

'Go ahead and sit by him!'

_No! He would've sat over here if he wanted to be close to me!_

'Just do it! You know you want to touch!'

_I know better than to do that!_

'Yet.'

_Don't get your hopes up girl…_

***THAT AFTERNOON***

Videl laughed as she saw the large TV in the Son living room light up with the words "SCORPION WINS!" with the ninja standing in the background holding the severed head and spinal column of his blue-masked opponent. The gruesome nature of the video game was a parody to her, having seen real death and destruction up close and personal. Even funnier than that though was the two boys who were playing the game.

Gohan was leaned back against a bean bag chair with a smug grin on his face, while Sharpener was clutching the controller with a frustrated grimace as he glared at the dark haired teen. The three girls were all seated on the couch, thoroughly enjoying watching Gohan and Sharpener go at it over and over again.

"Dude, I'm telling you, you've got to be cheating or something! There's no way that Sub-Zero would lose to Scorpion in a fair fight!"

Gohan gave him an expression of mock-hurt, pulling a giggle from Lime as she watched the exchange.

"Why Sharpie, I would never! Just because you couldn't beat me in a fight if your life depended on it…"

"Oh you want to bet? Bring it-"

"Sharpener. I'm not going to fight you for real, so shut your cock-holster and let's go again!"

Videl snorted and fought to control her laughter at his analogy. Lime and Erasa had less bearing and burst into bouts of uproarious laughter while Sharpener blinked his eyes in surprise.

"GOHAN! WHERE DID YOU LEARN LANGUAGE LIKE THAT?!"

All of the teen's eyes snapped wide open, and Gohan's face paled at the sound of that shrill voice. Videl glanced around, looking for the source of the voice before two little blurs zipped across the room and tackled the tall teen, sending him flat on his back as the bean bag absorbed the impact.

"BIG BROTHER!"

Videl's brain slowly started back up as she watched two small children bounce excitedly on her crushes chest while he lay there stunned. One was a small boy who looked almost exactly like Goku in the tournament footage from the twenty first and second tournaments, and had a huge grin plastered on his face. He was dressed in an orange gi with a long sleeve navy shirt underneath, and was firmly attached to his brother's chest. The other child sat next to him, her hands held up in excitement. Her hair was short, and stuck out haphazardly, falling in a mess down around her ears. She was dressed in a traditional fighting kimono with a pair of loose trousers and a sleeveless top.

Gohan blinked and roused himself from his state of shock and a wide grin adorned his face as he looked at his siblings.

"Hey squirts! You two didn't miss me did you?"

He sat himself up, carrying the two children with him, who clutched onto him. The little boy buried his face in the fabric of Gohan's button up shirt, and the little girl pouted up at him with bright shiny eyes.

"But Gohan! You were gone forever! I thought you wouldn't come back!"

Videl had to restrain herself from letting out an 'aww' at the adorable pout the girl was giving her crush. She noticed that Gohan was also extremely affected by her display. He stood and cradled both of the children in his arms, letting a sorrowful expression settle on his face as he gazed upon his little sister.

"I'm sorry Ria, tell you what. We'll find Trunks and play tonight before you all go to bed okay?"

He bounced her in his arm, forcing a giggle out of her. She flung her tiny arms around his neck and nodded excitedly. Gohan smiled and looked around for the other member of his family. Videl felt herself melt inside at the interaction between the teen and his siblings.

_He's so good with those two, I would swear that he was their father! So that's what he looks like when he's letting himself be free with his feelings? Dammit Gohan, why must you be so… so perfect?!_

She saw his smile fade slowly into a nervous grimace, and he cleared his throat. He moved as if to drop the two children in his arms, but after a moment of hesitation, seemed to think better of it. Videl traced his eyes as they moved steadily about the room and saw his mother striding across the room with a stern scowl on her face and her arms crossed. Her eyes widened in recognition, and she suddenly felt nervous around the woman. She halted just in front of her children, all of whom were looking at her apprehensively.

_Man, talk about scary. Any woman that can make him _that _nervous has to be pretty tough._

'Maybe you should talk to her? Learn some tricks of the trade?'

_Hey, I don't want to control Gohan remember! Although…_

'Being able to get him to do what you want…'

_Would have its benefits here and there… hmm maybe later._

"Young man, I heard that little analogy, and I don't know where you picked that sort of language up, but I know I taught you better than that."

Gohan laughed nervously and shrugged, indicating with his head towards the still stunned Sharpener, who couldn't seem to register what he was seeing just yet.

"Sorry mom, just some playful banter. Teenager sort of thing you know? Found that out through Yamcha."

The woman cocked an eyebrow at him, her scowl unwavering.

"Well then tell Yamcha that I'll be having a conversation with him soon! Don't let me hear it come out of your mouth again young man."

"Okay, okay you won't!"

Videl watched carefully, feeling the tension heavy in the air. The two children clutched in his grasp stared fearfully at their mother, not fully understanding what had just transpired. Chi chi sighed and rolled her eyes with a slight shake of the head. Her scowl dissipated and turned into a smirk.

"Ugh I can't even stay mad at you! That _was _a good one."

The tension snapped and Lime snorted into her hands, rising to her feet and striding over to the woman and giving her a hug.

"Come on Chi, you know better than to think you could ever stay mad at Gohan! Big oaf is just too lovable!"

"Hey!"

Sharpener and Erasa burst into laughter at their friend's expression, and Videl let out a sigh of relief that his mother wasn't as harsh as she had first imagined. Lime and Chi Chi broke apart and the elder woman looked to her oldest son.

"Well Gohan, are you going to introduce us? We've heard so much about your new friends, but you haven't brought them over yet!"

The three teens rose and gathered in a small group next to the Son family. Gohan gently bounced the two children in his arms, again getting giggles from them.

"These two runts are Goten and Ria, my little brother and sister. They're twins."

The two children clutched onto their brother's shirt in an identical fashion and stared wide-eyed at the teens gathered before them. Videl thought that they were just the cutest things she had ever seen, and the blonde girl next to her seemed to think along exactly the same lines.

"They're just _adorable_! I'm totally jealous of you Gohan!"

Gohan chuckled and shook his head at her.

"You might not be saying that if you get pranked by them. They're a mischievous duo, and Kami forbid you add Trunks into the mix…"

Videl almost cringed when his smirk turned evil and he gave both Sharpener and Erasa a significant look. Sharpener paled slightly, but didn't make a noise. Erasa didn't even seem to notice what he had just said and was giggling excitedly. Gohan stepped to the side and nodded towards his mother.

"And this is my mom, Chi Chi. Mom, this is Sharpener, Erasa, and Videl."

Just like with Bulma, the three teens bowed respectfully towards the Son matron, who smiled brightly and returned the gesture. She righted herself and took in the three teens, taking mental notes.

_Sharpener… He seems to be alright, though he kinda looks like a punker with that long hair and the muscle shirt. The blonde girl, Erasa… she's quite pretty. Too much makeup though. She talks a lot, I can already tell. But at least she looks like a positive personality. I can practically feel the energy bubbling off of her, a lot like Goku actually… And Videl… The Daughter of Hercule Satan, and the last person I would have ever expected Gohan to befriend. She doesn't even resemble her father! She must have gotten her looks from her mother. Kami those eyes are beautiful!_

Her smile brightened ever so slightly and one blissful thought burst into her head.

_To beautiful girls already in his circle of friends?... GRANDBABIES!_

The four shook hands and informal introductions were made between all parties. Gohan stood to the side as Sharpener and Erasa asked her question after question about long forgotten days when she had been training for the tournament, or about the Ox kingdom. Chi Chi was more than happy enough to answer all of their questions, excited to have someone to talk to besides her usual group. Videl took the opportunity to visit with the Son children, who Gohan was still carrying in his arms. The two ceased their excited chatter as she approached and watched her closely. She smiled nervously and halted before them, suddenly unsure of what to say.

"You're Videl right?"

She glanced over at Goten, whose expression was one of puzzlement and nodded her head. Ria smiled at her and tugged on her elder brothers shirt excitedly.

"Gohan, she's really pretty like Lime! Can she be our sister too?"

Videl again felt her heart melt into a puddle of her waning resolve, and her face grew hot with embarrassment. Gohan chuckled and bounced the girl in his arms before gesturing towards his short friend.

"Well, why don't you ask her? I'm sure she couldn't say no to your puppy-dog eyes now could she?"

Ria gave out an excited giggle and leapt from Gohan's arms, landing heavily in Videl's surprised grasp. She staggered slightly under the impressive weight of the child.

_Kami, how can a little girl weigh so much? What are they made of? Granite?_

'Well if Gohan's muscles are any indication.'

_Damn that's possible. Kami, I wonder how much he weighs if his seven year old sister weighs this much?_

'Just think, their mother had to carry them both at the same time. She's got to be one tough woman!'

_Wow yea. I wonder how rough it would be having to carry a child that heavy._

'Well why don't you find out? Gohan's right there!'

_NOPE! Not going there any time soon! We aren't even dating!_

She regained her balance and stood straight, looking nervously at the little girl who was grabbing onto the front of her shirt with her little legs wrapped around her waist as far as they could go. She was smiling sweetly up at the raven haired beauty with the most adorably huge shiny eyes that she could muster, and Videl knew it was all over before she had even began to speak with that tiny little voice of hers.

"Videl, can you be our sister? _Pleeeaaaase_?"

Videl pouted and sent Gohan a glare. He just smirked and gave her a "Sorry, your problem not mine" sort of look. She looked back at the girl and felt the rest of her resolve disappear into those gorgeous black orbs.

"Awww how could I say no to _that_? Of course I can!"

Ria beamed at her and pulled her into a tight hug, and Videl was astounded by the strength of the child as she clung to her. Goten squirmed his way out of his older brothers arms and bound up to her as well, jumping and settling himself into the short girls grasp right next to his sister. Videl staggered under the sudden weight, but kept herself standing as she held the two children.

_Damn they've got one hell of a grip. It seems that they all have an unnatural strength…_

She glanced at Gohan, who was wearing a small smile as he watched his little siblings interact with his friend. Her heart skipped a beat, and she blushed.

_Maybe this is a step in the right direction? If his younger brother and sister can accept me…_

She was startled by a gentle hand on her shoulder, and turned her head to see Lime standing next to her with a sly smile.

"You look good with kids, trying to make a statement here?"

Videl felt her face grow hot as she remembered the argument she had been having with herself only a minute before, and her eyes widened. She shook her head in denial, but Lime just rolled her eyes and reached out to pry Ria off of her friends chest.

"Come on runt, I think you and your brother need to go play. I just saw Trunks trying to be sneaky out in the hall, so I bet he's up to no good. You'd better go find him."

The girl gave out a short bark of a laugh and shot out of the room. Videl glanced down at the boy in her arms, and was surprised to see the exact same devious smirk that she had seen Gohan wear before. He shifted his gaze to her, and she felt a chill run up her spine. He took the moment of surprise to break out of her grasp and bolt after his sister, giggling the whole way. Videl stared after the twins as they left, suddenly worried about this afternoon.

***THAT EVENING – VIDEL'S ROOM***

Videl sighed heavily as she sunk herself into the large bathtub in the bathroom attached to her guest room. The day had been extremely stressful for her, and a long soak in the hot water was just what she had been craving since her dip in the Jacuzzi that morning. She smiled to herself as she remembered the events of the day, summarizing it all up.

_Stressful yes… But it was really wonderful too. The only thing that could have made it better would have been Gohan and I being together._

There were so many other things to be excited about though. She had been introduced to, and was now on first-name basis with, the most famous woman in the world. She had finally met Chi Chi and the twins, who she believed to be the most precious little things in the world. She understood Gohan's affection for them immediately, despite their rowdy nature. There had been the time at the pool and discovering exactly how attracted to Gohan she was. The image that had burned itself into her brain resurfaced, and she felt the same rush of heat from her core take her as less than proper thoughts bubbled into her mind.

She sighed, forcing the thoughts away and refocusing. The rest of the day was filled with seemingly mundane things. From sitting around and playing video games to eating dinner with the Briefs and Sons. But each event brought new information to her. She had learned that Bulma wasn't kidding when she spoke earlier about her boys' and Godchildren's appetites. Vegeta had put away a considerably larger amount of food than Gohan, a feat she thought had been impossible. They had just spent the evening with the Brief family, even Vegeta who had reluctantly joined upon the prying of his wife.

Videl laughed inwardly at the memory of the Blue haired woman sternly demanding the obedience of the short man. Her glare had earned her a nervous look from him, an expression that Videl had never expected to see on his sharp features. They sat across from the teens, who were practically bursting with questions. Somehow, they had managed to get to the subject of the upcoming world martial arts tournament.

**~~~Flashback~~~**

"That pathetic excuse for a fight? There would only be one reason for me to go to such an event, and that's if Kakarot were there. Since he won't be there, neither will I."

Videl furrowed her brow, trying to think of who this Kakarot person was. Bulma slapped him on the arm, her expression one of annoyance. She glanced nervously over at Gohan, who was sitting away from the group slightly. Videl traced her gaze and was surprised to find the boy standing, his face set in a pained grimace. He turned on his heel and left, leaving his mother and siblings looking after him nervously. Vegeta snorted and crossed his arms, glaring after the boy. Videl returned her gaze to the man, curious as to why Gohan had reacted so. Bulma rounded on him, smacking him hard across the back of his head.

"Now why did you have to go and do that! You know how dangerous it is to talk about him in front of Gohan like that! You're going to have to deal with it this time buster!"

_What in the world is she talking about? Who is this Kakarot person?_

Without another word, Vegeta stood and strode away from the group and out the same door that Gohan had left through. She couldn't read his expression as he left, but she suddenly felt fearful for the short man. Whatever he had done to upset the teen, she didn't envy him. Bulma Sighed and pinched the bridge of her nose, muttering something about retarded men and arrogant dicks. Dropping her hand to her lap, she sighed and returned her attention to the puzzled teens.

"My husband and Gohan's father were once rivals from the same tribe of people. Goku lost his memory from the time before he arrived here and was adopted by his Grandfather, which is Gohan's name-sake. Goku's birth name is Kakarot, and I'm sure you three know by now that he is no longer with us."

Videl soaked up every word that was said, stashing it away later for further review. They had heard the stories about the world martial arts tournaments and their adventures from Bulma's teenage years. There were even a couple from the Son Matron about how life had been during her youth. But somehow, the information that Goku and Vegeta were connected before all of that seemed to be an even more important piece of information, though she couldn't quite figure out how.

The conversation paused a moment as a dull shaking rattled the house, and a faint bang could be heard. Videl's heart jumped in anticipation and she nearly shot up, mentally preparing to fight. Chi Chi placed a hand on her shoulder, her eyes unfocused as she spoke, her mind obviously elsewhere.

"That's just Vegeta and Gohan sweety, don't worry about it."

_What?! You've got to be kidding me! I mean, I've seen first-hand how strong Gohan is! If they're not careful, one or both of them are going to get hurt._

Her worry seemed to show on her face, because Bulma sighed and leaned up against the arm of the couch, propping her head up on her hand and rolling her eyes.

"Videl, it's fine. They do this sort of thing all the time. They're both extremely tough."

The raven haired beauty sighed in defeat and resigned herself to sink into the couch, her adrenaline burst dissipating rapidly and leaving her in a state of lethargy. She felt Erasa shuffle in her seat on the couch, and turned to see her gazing uncertainly at the Son Matron.

"Chi Chi… If you don't mind me asking… I mean, I just want to know… How… How did Goku die?"

Panic shot through Videl and she turned her wide eyes towards the Son matron, nervously awaiting the outburst she felt was coming. To her surprise, the woman's face fell with sorrow, but then picked up again as memories of her husband resurfaced, and pride was dominant on her face.

"I'm sorry, I thought that Gohan would have told you all by now. My Goku died a little over seven years ago now. He sacrificed his own life to save those of his family. Were it not for him, none of us would be here with you right now."

Videl again felt the cold chill of fear and anxiety rush through her veins. She knew exactly who it was that had killed Goku, and noted how the Son Matron carefully avoided mentioning Cell, or the fact that he had saved far more than just his family. Bulma chose that moment to interject, changing the subject ever so slightly.

"That's part of the reason that Vegeta is so harsh when it comes to Goku. He's constantly been fighting to make himself better than Goku. When he left us, Vegeta suddenly had nobody left but Gohan. Trunks was only an infant at the time and the twins weren't born yet. The result is what you just witnessed today. Vegeta pushes Gohan's buttons to get him riled up, and then fights him to test himself against his Rival's son."

Another hollow boom echoed through the building, and Bulma smirked.

"And more often than not, Gohan comes out on top."

Silence reigned over the party, and Videl lost herself in her thoughts. Piecing together all the extra information she had just received, adding them into the big picture that was the puzzle of Gohan. Sharpener stirred off to her right, and asked a question that made Videl cringe slightly.

"So, do you think that there's a possibility of them joining the tournament next month? I mean, I personally want to see them fight. They've both been training a long time right? I bet they could even put up a good resistance with Mr. Satan. It'd be awesome to see them go at it."

Bulma laughed, sharing a look with her best friend. Chi Chi just rolled her eyes and smirked.

"Well what do you think Chi? It would be fun to get the gang back together wouldn't it? Just for old time's sake? Shoot we could even see if Tien and Launch want to come! It'd be nice having that crazy broad with us for crowd control huh?"

Videl's eyebrows shot up into her hair. Surely, they weren't actually considering attending the tournament? Could she actually get the chance to meet the rest of the group of fighters responsible for the defeat of Cell?

"Oh why not? It's not like we've had an excuse to call everyone together the last few years. I think the last time was when Krillin and 18 got hitched! I'll start making calls tomorrow."

**~~~ End Flashback~~~**

Videl closed her eyes, sinking further into the sudsy water and letting the heat soak into her bones. Certainly, today had been an interesting day. She was excited at the prospect of all of Gohan's friends attending the tournament, but one thought plagued her mind.

_What is Gohan going to do?_

**A/N: Slightly shorter than the last couple, I know. But it's all for a reason! For those of you getting anxious to see some more Bardock action, fear not. It's coming soon! See you next time! Hopefully i'll have it up here within a day or two.**


	16. Conflicts and Decisions

**Hey guys! This one turned out a lot longer than I though it was going to be. I read through the old chapters and all of the reviews, pulling a couple ideas here and there for it. Lots of dialogue, and lots of fun... stuff... Oh just read it, you'll find out! Fair warning, there are some rather graphic parts in this chapter laced with some dark humor. Beware! R&R and review!**

**Chapter 16: Conflicts and Decisions**

***EARLY MORNING TWO DAYS LATER – BRIEF WARD***

"Woman, you need to keep that harpy away from me! Those brats too! The little girl interfered with mine and Gohan's training this morning and nearly got herself killed! And whose fault was it when Kakarot's woman found out what she had done?"

"I know Vegeta, but you of all people should understand the fighting spirit Ria has! She's so much like her older brother! She just wants to be as good as you two!"

Bulma rubbed her temples in frustration, not daring to look at her husband in her current state. She had stayed up late the night before, going through security measures with her staff leads in case of a catastrophic failure of her current project: The time communicator. In her current state with the lack of sleep or proper food, she was tense as a guitar string, and her husband's ranting was doing her no good. She understood Vegeta's concern, if you could call it that, but also knew that there was truly little she could do to control the twins.

Vegeta humphed and crossed his arms, sitting heavily on a couch in their living room and planting his elbows firmly on his thighs. His face was contorted into a scowl and his brow furrowed. Bulma inhaled deeply, catching a whif of his musky scent that calmed her so well. She could feel the tension behind her eyes dissipate enough that her frustration subsided, and she opened her eyes to watch Vegeta. He glanced towards her, and she felt a wave of guilt and worry wash over her that didn't originate from her mind.

_So that's it then. You don't want her to get hurt? Vegeta you arrogant prick, why can't you just admit what it is you're feeling?_

"Bulma, Gohan's state of mind is getting worse. I don't think that even his harpy mother realizes the turmoil in his mind. The girl want's to fight with us, she wants to be the best, but Gohan is struggling to figure out who he is still and she cannot interfere!"

Bulma shook her head in puzzlement, startled at his words. She mulled them over in her head for a moment, trying to understand what he was trying to get at. She slowly strode over and sat next to him, cupping her hands in her lap and staring at the floor in concentration.

_Okay so that's not what I expected. I got that he's worried about Ria getting hurt, just as much as he is whenever Trunks trains with him… But this thing with Gohan? He hasn't seemed happier in the last seven years than he has been the last couple weeks! I was certain that he was finally making good progress!_

She turned her eyes on her husband, brow still set in confusion. He suddenly shifted towards her and wrapped an arm around her shoulder, pulling her close to him. She hesitated a moment, but upon inhaling his scent full-blast, she relaxed completely, resting her head on his shoulder and shutting her eyes.

"You smell that Bulma? That's something that only you can sense from me, as part of the bond we share through my species' mating habits. Just like we can sense moods, and in semi-rare occasions, words from each other's minds."

She nodded, knowing full well the ups and downs of her bond with the man next to her. The seemingly ancient scar at the base of her neck where he had bit her so many years ago tingled at the memory. Yet she was still unsure of what that had to do with her husband's worries.

"Vegeta, we've been married for seven years now, mated for longer than that. But I don't-"

"It's started for Gohan, and the boy doesn't even realize what it is yet."

Bulma's eyes snapped open and she pulled away to stare at him, completely baffled at the revelation. They remained like that for a few seconds, blue clashing with pitch black as she tried to pick up on her husband's thoughts.

"How can you be so sure?"

"I can't really, but when the brats arrived the other day, I noticed that one, or both of them was rutting. I couldn't be certain which."

She cocked an eyebrow at him, her lips pursed in distaste at his choice of words, but she let it slide.

"Rutting? You mean that she was 'in season' or something like that?"

"I mean that whichever one it is, is forming that attachment to him, and I think it's been affecting the boy too. This morning his scent was… different. He's begun to change physically and his hormones are kicking into full gear."

Bulma blinked her eyes in surprise.

_Gohan? Beginning to mate already? How? He's only eighteen… Oh well I suppose I shouldn't be surprised, Goku and Chi Chi were both eighteen when they were married and had Gohan. Gosh am I already that old?!_

"Wait, how is this a bad thing? I mean, look at you! No offense, but before you met me, you were a wreck."

He smirked, closing his eyes and leaning back against the couch.

"Bulma, I was a slightly different case. When we mated, it was a conscious decision on my part, and I had already gone past my first bouts of hormones. I knew how to control it, and while yes, you did provide me with a much more stable state of mind, Gohan is by no means prepared for this. You know even better than I do how much he was affected by Kakarot's death, and I know he's still not over it. He even refuses to use the fighting techniques he and his father have in common! He favors the ones he learned from the Namek, even after all these years! Tell me, what would you do if on top of all of that emotional turmoil, you discovered you had allowed another to become so close as to be mated with them for life?"

Bulma considered the question, at first not really understanding his point. But the more she thought about it, the more his logic made sense, and the more dread clung to her. She knew that Gohan believed it was his fault his father had died, and the twins had never had a father as a result. She knew all too well from her best friend, and from her own experience that he never let anyone but a tiny circle of friends into his life to a point of admitting feelings for them. Sure he had friends, but even the rest of the Z-fighters felt the cold shoulder from him more often than not. If he did realize his feelings for a woman, he would probably run from it, just as he had when he learned of Chi Chi's pregnancy. Then a worse thought occurred: He could fight it.

Vegeta nodded, watching her expression change as she thought out the most likely actions of the young teen. She returned her eyes to him, her face as serious as it could be.

"What do you propose we do? I mean, we can't just tell him can we?"

"No, that wouldn't work. It's already begun, whether he knows it or not. His Saiyan instincts have already kicked in and his mind is changing to accommodate the mating. I don't know how different it is for a half saiyan, but we full-blooded Saiyans make mates for life. A saiyan becomes the second most dangerous being to mess with, the first being his mate. That includes the saiyan himself. If Gohan doesn't accept it, if he were to refuse it, he would ultimately be destroyed."

"You mean…?"

"He will most likely kill himself out of self-induced grief. He nearly succeeded inadvertently when he ran from his mother and got his facial scar, and that was nothing compared to the pain he would feel from severing his ties with his mate of his own will."

Bulma blanched, her heart jumping into her throat as she realized the horrible truth of what he was getting at.

_So if it is thrust on him, he might snap and kill himself. Knowing Gohan, he could take the whole planet with him! But then who's to say he won't just do that when he discovers it for himself._

"But Vegeta… I don't get it how do we make him okay with this? I mean we don't even know who it is for certain! On top of that, what if the girl doesn't agree to it? How do we go about keeping Gohan from killing us all in a fit of rage?"

Vegeta sighed heavily through his nose, glaring hard at the ground, his uncertainty coming clear over their bond in waves.

"Quite honestly I don't know Bulma. His human side makes him unpredictable, and I know that I cannot defeat him if he loses control. I wish that we could give him more time, but then I may be worried for nothing in the end. He's a land-mine and with any wrong move on anyone's part, he goes off on them. You remember his fight with Broly, and the destruction the two of them caused? His conscience would not allow him to be satisfied with his actions, no matter how well he did in the situation. I don't think he could live with himself if he did that again, especially if someone he cared about was in the mix."

Bulma allowed a small smile to dance on her lips, realizing just how much her husband really cared for the young demi-saiyan. His thoughts were so confused, and he was so worried about him that he was unintentionally allowing it to show both through their bond, and in his voice as he spoke. She considered the situation for a moment, looking for an answer to the question before them.

Coming to the only conclusion that made sense, she sighed and turned her husband's face to her with a gentle push of her hand.

"Vegeta we have to let him do this on his own. We should watch him, but I also think that we should trust him to figure it out on his own. I don't like to think of what could happen, but I see no other alternative."

He sighed through his nose, furrowing his brow in concentration. He blinked once and turned his eyes towards his wife's once again, his affirmation clear in his black orbs. She gave him a weak smile and leaned in to kiss him briefly. Still unsettled by the information she had just received, she stood, leaving Vegeta on the couch with his thoughts. She breathed deeply, worry still gnawing at her as she considered the situation her godson was in as she made her way to the kitchen for a cup of coffee.

***IN THE KITCHEN***

"I swear, that man! Not a care in the world for others! I can't believe he almost hurt my little girl like that!"

Gohan sighed and poked at his food, not really feeling all too hungry. He and his mother were the only ones up and about already besides Vegeta as Chi Chi had already taken Ria back to her room where she promptly fell asleep next to her twin. Gohan cleared his throat nervously and stared at his mother.

"Mom, it's not all on him you know… I was in there too, and I didn't see her arrive either. Honestly I don't know how she got into the gravity room without tripping the auto-off switch on the door, but if Vegeta hadn't stopped our fight then there would have been a much higher chance that Ria would have gotten hurt."

Guilt flooded him just like it had that morning when Vegeta had been egging him on by telling him he couldn't protect them. His mother hadn't seen what happened, and he wasn't keen to tell her. He knew that the prince was pushing his buttons to make him fight harder, but it had nearly resulted in his little sister receiving a Masenko to the head due to his rage. He normally wouldn't have let the prince's words affect him so, but his mind had been unsteady and clouded recently, and the words struck a stronger chord than normal. He could feel something was coming, like the calm before the storm and it put his mind in a state of unease. Then there was the fact that he was randomly being halted by his senses over the last couple of days for no apparent reason. All he knew was that whatever scent he kept smelling had the capability to completely consume his attention, a trait that he despised.

"Nonsense Gohan! With you in there I know that nothing would have happened, but Vegeta has always been less than sensitive to anyone outside his family."

Gohan made no comment, instead staring hard at his food. Chi Chi knew that there was nothing she could realistically say to get him to feel differently, and decided to change the subject.

"By the way Gohan, I wanted to discuss something with you that Bulma and I decided to arrange."

He returned his gaze to her, confusion blocking out the other thoughts on his mind. Without waiting for a response, his mother smiled and continued.

"I made some calls yesterday, and the gang is getting together next month for the tournament! I actually managed to get everyone involved, though I don't know how many are going to try and compete."

_Oh perfect. Just how did they think that this is a good idea? What if someone recognizes them from the Cell games? Mr. Satan is going to be there, so is Videl! Not to mention it's televised! This is just begging for us to get the unwanted attention we were trying to avoid!_

He turned his hard gaze to his mothers, challenging her to give him a good reason they should carry out such a plan. She sighed and sat down in the chair across from him, crossing her arms in front of her chest and glaring right back at him.

"Gohan don't give me that look. I know exactly what you're thinking in that thick skull of yours, but don't forget that a lot of us have already been tournament fighters! The only ones who are not known are the newcomers; Vegeta, all the kids, you, and the androids. On top of that, Yamcha is a famous baseball player, Chiaotzu is an emperor of his own domain and Tien is his top advisor. Bulma is one of the most famous people in the world! Shoot I'm still the Ox princess! Even Piccolo is known to the public as being a contestant in the twenty third."

She glanced around the kitchen before leaning closer to him and dropping her voice.

"The only ones who really need to hide are the 'gold fighter' versions of you guys, and Bardock. As long as those people don't make an appearance we should be fine."

Gohan considered her words carefully, realizing that he hadn't accounted for what she spoke of. It had been a while since the entire Z-gang had gathered for any reason, and he didn't like the possibility of being in the public eye. But he knew there was another reason entirely for not wanting to get all of the Z-fighters together, no matter how much he wanted to deny it.

_No, you told yourself you would get past it. You have to let him go! They don't hate you for what happened to him, and you've done all you can to make up for it. You have to face them some time or another. _

He sighed and buried his face in his hands, trying to block the world out as he fought with himself. He dragged them down his face before crossing his arms on the table and staring at her seriously.

"I don't suppose that I can just not go?"

Chi Chi reached across the table to grab onto his arm and gave him a motherly look of concern.

"Sweety, you know that I cannot force you to do anything you don't want to do. But I know that everyone else would love for you to be there. I want you to be there, and it's not every day you get the chance to socialize with old friends."

_I hate it when she says she can't tell me what to do, It makes me feel horrible. Oh what's the use, I'm going to have to go._

He sighed and nodded his head, his eyes unfocused as he tried to imagine how that day would go.

"Great! Now the other thing I was wondering… How opposed would you be to competing?"

He started and glared at her incredulously. How would there even be a challenge for him there? What was the point? She blinked a couple times and gave him a nervous smile.

"Well, I'm just saying that the top prize is something like ten million zeni. And on top of that, Bulma is trying to get Vegeta and Trunks into the tournament. Said something about us not being able to compete with them. She said there's a junior division this year so we can enter Goten and Ria, _and _you if you're willing. I wanna wipe that smirk off her face when we win."

Gohan snorted and smirked at his mother.

"Are you positive you aren't a Saiyan, mom? The way you and Bulma go at it, you'd think you had both come from planet Vegeta."

She shrugged and laughed at him, blushing slightly. He closed his eyes, mulling it over in his mind. There were so many things that could go wrong, but if he was there at the ring-side…

"Fine, I'll enter, but I'm not going to go as Gohan. I think Bardock will be good enough for this."

Chi Chi furrowed her brow in confusion, earning a quizzical look from her son.

"Gohan, what about your friends? The three of them don't know. Also the tournament doesn't allow helmets if I remember right, so you'll have to take it off to fight as Bardock."

He sighed, running over the predicament in his head. It was true, his friends from school would certainly figure out if he was Bardock or not if he failed to make an appearance with them in the stands. But then, there was the course of action he had been considering for the last couple weeks as well.

_I could just tell them? They're already a part of this, and I know that they will find out one way or another later if I continue to hang out with them. But will it stop with them? What about Videl? How will she react to finding out? Probably scream at me and shun me. Oh I just don't know! _

He sensed a group of people approaching the kitchen, and gave his mother a significant look saying that they would discuss it later. She nodded and stood, walking towards the door as it opened, revealing Lime and Videl. Both of them were dressed and showered, and gave Chi Chi a bright "good morning" as she passed them on her way back to the Son ward. The two women parted ways, with Videl making her way towards the food machine, and Lime seating herself across from her adopted brother.

"Hey Gohan! Umm… You alright? You haven't eaten all your food… you sick?"

"No, just have a lot on my mind. Mom convinced me to join the tournament this morning."

Her eyes snapped open and she glanced to make sure that Videl wasn't near them.

"As you or as Bardock?"

"I don't know yet. If I go as Bardock then _they _are going to know for sure. If I go as me, then there's a chance the entire world will recognize me."

Lime's face cracked into a smile slowly as he spoke, excited that he was at least considering entrusting them with his secret. He shook his head and gave her a worried grimace.

"I can't make up my mind yet, what if it gets out through them that I'm Bardock? What then?"

"Gohan, stop being so paranoid! I think you can trust these three with it!"

"That doesn't answer my question."

"I can't answer that one! It's up to you to make that decision, I'm just telling you what I think. And I think that they can handle it! Shoot I don't think it'll even surprise them."

"What will surprise who?"

The two startled teens looked towards the raven haired girl as she sat next to Lime, setting down a plate of food and coffee for both of them. She was looking quizzically between the two of them, eager to be in on the conversation. Lime and Gohan shared a glance, neither of them really knowing what to say. Lime started stammering, trying to find something to say, but was cut off by a loud beeping emitting from the raven-haired girls wrist. Her face fell and she glared up at the ceiling as if blaming Dende for her untimely misfortune.

"On Vacation?! Really!"

She composed her face as best she could and held the wrist up and hit the communications button, opening the line to reveal the same blonde dispatcher as always.

"What's up sis?"

"A whole lot of bad news Videl. There's a full on gang war going on in the docks district of the city. We've already mobilized SWAT forces in, but they can't get close enough to neutralize the gang members. We've already got a confirmed three officers down, and your father was caught in the middle of it. We're not sure about his status, but he was last reported to have been assisting the ground forces."

All three of the teens jerked back in surprise, sharing a startled look. Gohan furrowed his brow and stared hard at the table in front of him.

_Hercule what are you doing? You're only human, and by the sounds of it this could get a whole lot worse before it gets better. If you go and get yourself killed…_

"The chief is preparing to call up to higher and get the national army in here to control the situation. As of right now, we're just containing it to that part of the city, and evacuating the fleeing civilians."

At that moment, Bulma strode into the kitchen and caught the last few words of the transmission. Her eyes widened and she looked between the three teens as Videl stood, checking her pockets for her ever-present 'copter capsule.

"Alright sis, call me with new developments, I'm on my way but it might take a while. Let me know if Bardock shows up. I feel like we might need his help with this one."

The room tensed as she killed the transmission, glancing around at the three and momentarily locked eyes with Gohan. His heart skipped a beat in that moment, and he suddenly became nervous, a single bead of sweat running down the back of his neck. Videl broke eye contact and rushed for the door, only to be stopped by Bulma, who was looking at Gohan with a worried expression.

"Videl, I know you're going back to Satan City, but how are you getting there?"

Videl simply pulled her capsule out, holding it up for the bluenette to see. Bulma took the capsule from her outstretched hand, reading the number off the side. She looked from it, back to the girl and smirked. She pulled a capsule box from the lab coat she was wearing for work, and removed a small red capsule from it, handing it and the original yellow one to the raven haired girl.

"Try this one out. It'll cut your travel time down to just a few minutes. It operates just like yours, but is the newest model."

"Thanks Bulma, I'll be back."

Bulma stood to the side and allowed the girl to leave before returning her gaze to her godson. Gohan was simply staring after the short girl, confused by her actions. He once again considered the possibility that she already knew the truth, but again waved away the possibility. He still believed that she would have said something to the media, or at least something to him about it if she knew.

_After all, what could she gain by hiding from me that she knew? If she knew who I was, she could have used that to manipulate me! Dammit this will have to wait 'til later! I can't let her or her father go out and get killed. Stupid humans and their stupid territorial-_

"Go on Gohan, this sounds serious. We'll keep the others off your trail until you make up your mind. Right Bulma?"

He nodded, standing abruptly and leaving out the same door Videl had, passing a confused looking Bulma on his way out without a word. Bulma watched him leave for a moment, then turned to Lime when the door closed.

"What do you mean by until he makes up his mind? What's going on?"

"He's considering telling the others that he's Bardock. Beyond that, I don't know what else he's got planned."

Bulma was shocked to say the least. This development was completely out of character for him. Could he finally, after all this time, be opening up to someone besides Lime and his siblings? She thought back to her previous conversation with Vegeta only a few minutes prior.

_Maybe all of this is going to work out for the better? If he's already considering letting them in on such a sensitive secret, then who's to say that his relationship with… whichever girl it is wont work out for the better. I wonder…_

"Lime. I have to ask you, do you know if there's anything between Gohan and Videl or Erasa?"

Lime blinked at her in surprise, completely caught off guard by the question.

"Well, I don't think you could really call it anything just yet, but Videl's admitted her feelings towards him to me, and I think he subconsciously is developing them for her. I couldn't tell you for certain, he's never had those feelings towards anyone that I can remember."

_So it's Videl then. Well at least I know that she already has some affection towards him, that's one possible failure scratched off. How funny, her father steals his credit and he repays him by taking his child…_

"Why do you ask?"

Bulma shook her head, ridding herself of the amusing thought and smiling slyly at the girl.

"Oh… No reason, just curious."

***ABOVE THE DOCKS DISTRICT – FIFTEEN MINUTES LATER***

Gohan gritted his teeth behind the helmet of his disguise, staring at the destruction below him. He had followed Videl in the modified jet-copter, deciding to let her make her appearance before himself. When they had arrived, Videl had promptly landed the 'copter and joined the police force at the edge of the roadblock looking over the street. Smoke billowed high into the sky from several burning vehicles and buildings, and the crack of gunfire could be heard dancing from building to building as two rival gangs duked it out for ownership of the district. In the distance, Gohan could see the reflection of the flames dancing on the water off the coast.

_Damned fools! How many innocents have gotten caught in the crossfire? This is far worse than I had pictured in my head._

He glanced down towards the gathered police vehicles and felt a sense of relief as he saw Mr. Satan standing tall before his daughter. The girl hugged him briefly before turning to the chief of police with her arms crossed.

_Good, he didn't get himself killed. Now let's keep it that way._

He dropped from the sky, landing with a heavy thud right next to the police chief. He righted himself and crossed his arms, startling the graying man and forcing him to cringe.

"What the-… Bardock! Oh good I'm glad you showed up!"

Gohan nodded his head and looked towards the Satan's. Videl gave him a small smile and nodded her head in acknowledgement while Hercule just stared at him in disbelief. He worked his jaw a couple times before his voice finally came to him.

"Wha-.. Who?... Videl who is this punk?!"

Gohan smirked, holding back a laugh at the look she gave her father. Hercule cringed a little at her glare and scratched his head nervously. He returned his gaze to the demi-saiyan, peering into the helmet to try and see his face as best he could.

"I mean, who are you?"

He looked like he wanted to say a lot more, but held his tongue.

_Oh good, I think he must remember someone else who could fly. This might actually be fun._

"Why Mr. Satan, it's so nice to see you again…"

He let his voice trail off menacingly, and noticed that both his and Videl's faces blanched. Videl seemed to realize something and looked nervously at her father. Gohan narrowed his eyes and watched her through his mask. He had expected that reaction from Hercule, but not from Videl. Dismissing it as her being shocked that her father might know Bardock, he returned his gaze to the man, who was blinking and clearly trying to collect his thoughts.

"Y-yea you too… Umm, when exactly did we meet?"

"We'll have the reunion later sir. Chief, mind giving me a target?"

He turned his head towards the officer, satisfied that he had sufficiently scared the aged fighter. The officer shook his head and motioned towards a paper map stretched across the hood of his cruiser. He pointed towards the outlined dock districts, and indicated several rocks that were planted on major crossroads leading into the area.

"The whole district is in lock-down, we have blockades at all of these locations. Everyone leaving the area has to get by us. The coast guard has already posted a few patrol boats in the bay in case someone tries to leave that way. The only problem is we don't have the manpower to take the gangs down. I was about to call in the National Guard –"

"No need chief. Between myself, Videl and Hercule, this situation can be handled. Just show us where the primary concentration of them is."

"Now hold on a second! You might be tough, but they've got everything from assault rifles to explosives in there! The three of you can't just-"

Videl chose that moment to intervene, growling at the man and crossing her arms.

"Chief, we can handle it! Mr. Super-man here can catch bullets remember?"

The old officer sighed and considered Bardock for a moment, realizing he wouldn't win that battle. Hercule raised an eyebrow at his daughter. That wasn't admiration in her voice was it? The chief pointed towards a row of circled buildings directly down the road from where they were standing. Gohan glanced down the road again in time to see a Molotov fly from a window and crash into a moving car, exploding in a fireball. He felt anger well up in his chest as he felt the ki of the person inside fluctuate wildly and then slowly dissipate as their life was snuffed out. He let out an audible growl and uncrossed his arms. Videl reached out and grabbed onto his arm, halting him in place as he looked down at her. Her face was set into a determined grimace and she nodded towards the burning vehicle.

"Bardock, let us help. Get me and my father in there. I know neither of us can halt bullets, but we can fight."

He felt admiration at her bravery, and realized with a jolt that even Hercule seemed to be agreeing with her, despite the danger.

_So he's not a complete coward. I bet that's partly his daughters influence. Fine, that's what they want. I suppose I can fly them in._

He nodded and held his arms towards the two of them.

"Fine, grab onto my arm and whatever you do, hold on. I'm going to drop you on the rooftops of the buildings."

Videl's face brightened and she gripped onto his outstretched hand with a determined look. Hercule hesitated a moment, glancing nervously at his daughter before reaching out with one hand and firmly grasping Bardock's extended arm. As soon as the two of them were held on sufficiently, he rose into the air, being careful not to jolt them as he floated above the street. Hercule's eyes widened in fear and he paled, but Videl released an excited laugh, watching the ground grow more distant below her.

_She is definitely a fighter. She's loving the adrenaline rush. If she had been trained properly, she could do this herself._

He quickly made his way over the rooftops, closing the distance towards the buildings, using smoke as cover for them as he approached. He easily identified one with roof access, as there were a pair of gang members on the roof firing at a building across the street from them. He flexed his forearms, catching his passengers' attention.

"There. That rooftop. Be prepared to catch yourselves, you'll have to deal with them on your own. I can handle the other side of the street on my own."

Hercule raised an eyebrow at him, but didn't say anything. Videl just nodded and focused her glare on the men below, her pigtails whipping around behind her. Satisfied that they understood, he dropped in altitude towards the building. When they were only a few feet off the roof, he slowed their descent, and the two of them dropped from his grasp. The two of them rolled to absorb the impact of their landing, and stood to attack the gangsters.

With a loud roar, Hercule drove his fist upwards into the man's jaw as he turned to face him, sending him several feet into the air before crashing back down on the edge of the roof, banging his head in the process. Videl used the momentum of her roll to leap into the air and drive her foot into the back of her opponent, sending him skidding into the short brick wall with a sickening crunch. Satisfied that they were out of commission, she gave Bardock a thumbs up and turned to run down the stairs of the roof access hatch.

Her father grabbed onto her arm, startling her. He glanced over his shoulder to make sure that Bardock was already gone, and then glared worriedly at his daughter.

"Videl, I don't think we should trust this guy! He's using the same tricks as the guys who fought Cell! Why are you so ready to follow him into this mess?"

"Because he's done nothing but help me since he made his first appearance dad! I don't care if he does do those 'tricks', whatever he does works. Please don't do anything to piss him off? Trust me, I know him well enough to know that you never want to do that."

_Especially since you took his credit for Cell. For a second there, I thought Gohan was going to take revenge on you for that._

An explosion rang out and the building they were on shook as something detonated from within. Videl widened her stance, retaining her balance and steadying herself. Her father did likewise and leaned against the wall next to the access hatch.

"We're wasting time here dad! Let's go!"

***ACROSS THE STREET***

Gohan wasted no time getting to work on the other gang, which was taking cover in a general store across from the tattoo parlour he had dropped the Satan's off on. Spotting a man who was toting a six barreled grenade launcher, he dove forward, crashing through the window between them and driving his shoulder into the man's hip. The gangster screamed in agony as his pelvis broke, and he fell to the floor writhing in pain, his grenade launcher forgotten to the way-side.

Gohan righted himself and silenced the man's screams with a booted kick to the side of his head. He felt out with his Ki, sensing that there were only a few Gangsters in the immediate vicinity. He felt out the nearest, who was two aisles over, screaming in a language he couldn't immediately identify. Without a second thought, he channeled his energy in front of him in a wedge and pushed himself through the aisles, scattering the contents of the shelves every which way and emerging in front of a very startled man carrying a sub-machine gun.

"WHAT THE FU-"

Gohan dispatched him quickly, hitting him quickly in the face and sternum, staggering the man. He followed up his quick one-two with a spinning back-kick to his stomach, sending him flying clean through the air and crashing into the glass door of a refrigerator unit containing beer. Several of the bottles shattered, spilling their golden liquid over the fallen combatant and mixing with his blood on the floor.

"Cheers mate."

He turned his attention back to the front of the store, where he could see several gangsters gathered behind registers, talking animatedly to each other.

"He's definitely here man! We need to get the hell out of here!"

"What the fuck are you babbling about?"

"It was Bardock! I saw him, I swears it!"

"Bardock?! Oh hell no! Mr. Satan was bad enough, but Bardock? I hear bullets don't affect him! This shit aint worth getting killed over."

"Too late."

The gangsters stiffened visibly and looked around for the source of the dangerously low voice that rung in their heads. The one that had been panicking about the masked super hero turned around and came face to face with his own reflection staring back at him from the mirrored visor of Bardock's helmet.

"Fucking shit!"

Gohan stepped forward, thrusting his head into the face of the ganster, breaking his nose and sending him toppling into one of his comrades. The others let out startled cries and turned their weapons on the super-hero in a vain attempt to halt him as he dispatched them one by one. There was no quarter for the men, and they all fell to the bone-shattering blows of Gohan's attacks. One man managed to get a knife through his defenses, only to have the blade get stuck in his green chest armor and snap off at the hilt.

Gohan glanced down at the knife, berating himself for allowing such a fatal error. He grabbed the blade and pulled, removing it from its place in his armor. The gangster who had attempted to stab him quaked in fear and slowly staggered backwards, glancing between the knife hilt and the horrifying man before him. Gohan held the blade between two fingers in front of him, palm facing the man.

"You got me, congratulations. Not many can claim that feat. But I think this belongs to you."

He flicked his fingers forward, shooting the severed blade through the air and pinning the man's hand to the wooden grip of the knife. The man screamed in agony and clutched his wrist, desperately trying to drop the grip, shaking his hand violently as blood dripped from the wound to the ground.

"YOU SON OF A BITCH!"

Gohan closed the short distance in one stride and drove a side kick into the gangster's chest, snapping several of his ribs in the process and collapsing his sternum. He flew backwards, crashing through a window in the front of the general store before rolling to a halt in the middle of the sidewalk. Gohan extended his senses, satisfied that there were no more combatants in the store. He felt Mr. Satan and Videl had reached the ground floor of the tattoo parlour, and judging by the weak ki of the other men in the building, had dispatched most of the enemy combatants there.

He calmly strode outside, looking around for more fighters. The air was thick with smoke from the burning vehicles, the fire crackling brightly.

_That might be a problem. If it's not brought under control soon, then this whole district could go up in smoke._

He glanced around for a solution, and found one in a pair of fire hydrants planted on the sidewalks across the street from each other over near the fire. He began to make his way towards it, his stride confident and quick. Videl and Mr. Satan emerged from their building, prepared to take on more bad guys, but only saw Bardock making his way towards the raging car fires.

"Bardock! You okay?"

He glanced them over, not halting his steps, and gave her a thumbs up.

"Call the chief, get everyone in here to help with this mess, and don't forget to bring in some SWAT for security. I don't know if we got them all."

She returned his gesture and walked a few steps facing up the street to where the police barricade was. She pressed the dial button on her communicator watch and directed it to call the chief's radio. She glanced over her shoulder as a loud metallic clang rang through the air to observe Bardock punch a hole in one of the hydrants, unleashing the flow of water upon the burning cars.

_Holy shit, just like it was hot butter…_

"Videl, are you alright?! Videl!"

She shook her head, returning her eyes to the watch screen and the chief's worried face.

"Yea chief we're all fine. We need a cleanup crew in here ASAP, and send in a couple SWAT teams for security. Bring some body bags too, there's a lot of casualties here, and we both know how efficient Bardock is."

"That Bardock… Every time he gets involved I have to deal with a full inquiry as to why we let him do that."

"Chief, he's the reason things have been going as well as they have for you the last few months, don't let the media get to you. We need his help sometimes, and he does what needs to be done when we can't."

The chief sighed and rubbed his forehead, his expression one of frustration.

"I know what he does for us Videl, but he doesn't have to kill everyone."

"Don't worry about it chief, just send in the cleanup crew please."

Before he could respond, she cut the transmission and turned towards the masked super-hero as he worked. He had twisted the metal of the fire hydrant so that it was spraying over the burning cars, sending smoke flying into the air at an alarming rate and filling the air with the sizzling and crackling of rapidly cooling metal. Satisfied with his work, he righted himself and began striding across the street towards them.

Videl smiled at him, glad to see that everything had worked out so well. Her smile faded as she heard the dull rumble of an engine, muffled by the sound of the burning vehicles. She looked around rapidly and Bardock halted, stiffening as he heard it as well. A motorcycle burst through the smoke between two of the cars bearing two men. One in front hunched low over the controls, and a second standing on pegs in the back with a bandolier of liquor bottles stuffed with cloth. He held two in his hands, the cloth burning and trailing smoke. As the bike approached Bardock, the man threw the bottles one after the other straight at him.

"GOHAN LOOK OUT!"

As soon as the words left her mouth she clamped her hands over it, shocked at her own carelessness. His head snapped in her direction just as the bottles hit him. The first struck him across his legs, shattering and spraying most of the liquid across the ground. The second hit him square in the side of the head, dousing him in the liquor which promptly exploded upwards in a fireball that made Videl cringe and hide her face from the heat. She heard the bike scream past her, the passenger whooping into the air at the accuracy of his attack.

Panic gripped her heart as she returned her glare to the inferno that had consumed her friend.

_Gohan! Oh kami no!_

She wanted to rush into the flames, to pull him out. She made it to the edge of the fire before a firm set of hands grabbed her from behind and pulled her away from the fire.

"Videl no! There's no way he survived that! Don't kill yourself for a lost cause!"

"GOHAN!"

She could feel the tears starting to run from her eyes as she struggled against her father's grasp. She wanted to tear at him, to get to the boy. Her voice was hoarse from the force of her scream. Then she saw him and her heart froze in her chest. Time slowed down to an impossibly slow pace and she felt a fear like no other at what she was witnessing.

He emerged from the inferno, striding forward like he didn't have a care in the world, flames swirling around him and clinging to his suit. In that moment he looked like a spawn of hell, his black body-suit and armor casting him like a shadow against the orange flames that shrouded him. She felt a wind swirl about them and the flames parted, forced aside by the gale that originated from the man. The orange of the flames attached to his body died out quickly to be replaced by a burning white aura that swirled about him. He held a hand outstretched towards the bike speeding away from them, palm out.

"HAAAAAAAAAAA!"

She hid her eyes as the golden flash of light burst forth from his hands, speeding after the motorcycle. She cracked her eyes just enough to see the light impact the back of the disappearing gangsters, exploding in a bright flash. Everything the light touched disintegrated, spraying the street with body parts and fragments of the bike. She felt a pang of revulsion at the gruesome sight, but dropped it to the side as worry gripped her again. She snapped her gaze back to where Bardock had been standing and was startled to find him only a couple feet away from her, staring at her through his visor with his arms crossed. Her heart jumped in her throat and she was suddenly fearful of the boy.

'No shit girl, you just blurted his name out in public twice.'

_Stupid! Stupid-stupid-stupid-stupid! I wasn't even supposed to know that!_

She gently removed her father's hands from her arms and looked him over. She was still worried about him. He had been coated in flames only a few seconds before. She would deal with his anger after she was sure he would be alright.

"Are you okay?"

He didn't say anything for a few seconds, staring her down through his mask. She shifted uneasily, silently cursing the fact that she couldn't see his face.

"Fire proof suit."

His voice was cold and sharp, and she knew she was on extremely thin ice. She contemplated if she should say anything to him, but decided that she should abstain. She could hear her father's heavy breathing right behind her, and begged Kami that he wouldn't say anything either. Bardock looked up the road, watching emergency vehicles drive through the barricades towards them.

"Neither of you will repeat that name again to _anyone_. I am leaving now, when you are finished here, both of you find me on the roof of the CC trade tower downtown."

He returned his gaze to them, and she could feel his eyes burning into her own as she watched him fearfully. When his voice came again, it was low and laced with a dangerous tone. Every word came sharp and emphasized.

"Do _not_ keep me waiting. I will find you if you do."

He turned his head directly towards Hercule for his last statement an she felt her father stiffen and catch his breath in his throat out of fear. Then he was gone with a loud whoosh and a rush of air that whipped her clothes and hair around. Her knees felt weak as she let out the breath she had been holding, and dread clawed at her insides.

"Shit…"

"Videl, what the _hell _was that about?!"

"I may have just killed the both of us…"

She gulped past the lump in her throat and waved down the approaching ambulance, doing her best not to let her fear show in her face as she set about organizing the emergency crews.

***THIRTY MINUTES LATER – TOP OF THE CC TOWER***

Gohan sat with arms and legs crossed, still disguised as Bardock. He furrowed his brow, trying to sort out his thoughts.

_I knew it! She knew somehow. For how long? What else does she know? God dammit this is not how this was supposed to happen! Did she go behind my back? Did Lime tell her?!_

'Don't jump to conclusions, Lime has never betrayed you before. Why would she do it now?'

_This doesn't make sense! If she knows, then who else knows? Is it all for nothing? Hercule already knows who I am, though I don't know if he remembers it._

'How could he forget, his livelihood is built off of your success.'

_We're about to find out how wrong all of this is going to go. I can't believe she found out. I feel so betrayed, and I don't know who to blame for it!_

'You were going to tell her anyways.'

"Dammit!"

His outburst sent out a shockwave, rupturing the camera on the roof that he had disabled earlier. He growled as he watched it fall from the wall, shattering on the floor of the roof.

_This is no time to be losing your temper. Find out the truth, and go from there._

He sighed, closing his eyes and beginning the meditation technique that Piccolo had taught him, floating several feet off the ground. He calmed his mind, preparing himself for the arrival of the two Satans. It didn't take long before he could hear the sound of Videl's jet copter approaching. It rose to a loud roar and he felt the push of the rotor-wash as she landed. He extended his senses just a little to make sure nobody else was near, and confirmed that Hercule was with her.

_Well... time for the reunion Hercule..._

The engines cut out and the doors to the copter opened and closed with a loud snap. He inhaled deeply, listening to the two sets of footsteps approaching.

"G-Gohan?..."

He held up his hand, forestalling any further comment. He released the flow of energy holding him in the air and righted himself, standing on his own two feet again. He turned towards the two of them and opened his eyes. Mr. Satan was wearing a confused grimace and was eyeing him quizzically. He obviously was unclear as to what had happened earlier, and kept glancing at his daughter. He felt a pang of guilt at her expression, realizing how harsh he had been earlier when his adrenaline had been flowing. He clenched his jaw shut and held his hands up to press the buttons on his watch through the fabric of the glove on his left hand.

Cool air rushed to his skin and his hearing suddenly became un-muffled as the disguise disappeared. The scent of sweat and smoke assaulted his nostrils, mixed with the smoggy air of the city. A light breeze whipped through the fabric of his navy gi, and he opened his eyes to glare at his short friend. Now was the time to get answers. She stared back, her eyes full of apprehension. He crossed his arms, considering what to say. Behind her, Hercule's eyes snapped open in recognition.

"Hey, wait it's you! That guy from Videl's high school! _You're _Bardock?"

"Not now dad!"

She snapped at him over her shoulder, her expression still contorted in fear. She slowly returned her gaze to the tall demi-saiyan.

"Gohan, I'm sor-"

"How long have you known?"

Her breath caught in her throat at his tone. He watched her carefully, looking for any signs of deceit. She took a deep breath and looked him dead in the eye.

"For a couple weeks now. The same day that I met Krillin and 18."

"How? How did you figure it out? Who told you?"

_If Krillin is to blame for this…_

He watched her expression carefully for signs that she was lying. To his relief, she never tore her gaze from his own, and though the fear was constantly present, her eyes were set and determined.

"Nobody Gohan, I found out on my own. Your friends didn't give me anything, I just found out through subtle hints."

_Hints? What hints? There was nothing for her to use. Unless…_

"How much do you know? What have you figured out?"

He gave her a moment to compose herself, watching her struggle to find the words. He felt his shoulders tense nervously, and prepared himself for the worst. She let out a ragged breath and began.

"I didn't immediately figure out you were Bardock. I pieced together connections between the gold fighter and Bardock, and then the Gold Fighter and the fighters from the Cell games. I already knew that my father hadn't killed Cell…"

She glanced over at her father, who was beginning to piece together what she was getting at and stared at Gohan in disbelief.

_Oh damn she's clever. She figured it all out through the Cell games._

"I realized that the gold fighter had to be the delivery boy grown up, and then he must have gone into disguise as Bardock to keep his… Your identity secret."

She hesitated here, obviously afraid to say the next part.

"And then I figured out through getting to know you that your father must have passed around the time of the Cell games, and I put the pieces together. I know that Cell killed him, and I know how much you were affected by it. I didn't want to bring any of this up, I was just so anxious to get to know you, and-"

He held up a hand, halting her. He wrestled with his emotions. He wasn't mad at her, in fact he was amazed she had figured him out with such little information. He ran it over in his head, comparing her story to what he remembered about her behavior over the last few months. It all fit, and he wasn't sure what he was supposed to do about it. He wanted to be angry at her, to tell her off for playing detective on him. But he couldn't, her motive wasn't malicious, and she had consistently shown a genuine concern for him. He remained wary of the girl however, and decided to continue his line of questioning.

"How many people know? Do Sharpener and Erasa? Has anyone besides you discovered any of this?"

She shook her head, her pale expression downcast. He felt a huge weight lift off of his chest, and he dropped his gaze to the ground between them.

"Are you mad?"

He returned his eyes to her. She wasn't looking at him, instead watching her hand as she played with the fabric of her glove nervously. He remained quiet for a moment, considering her question.

_Am I mad at her? Look at her, she's so scared I'm going to kill her. Her father looks like he's seen a ghost too._

"No. I'm a little upset you didn't come to me sooner to let me know. But I'm not angry at you."

She lifted her gaze to meet his, and a smile slowly spread across her lips. He kept his face neutral, but allowed his glare to soften.

"I don't believe it, you can't be that kid! He was dying when those fakes took him away-"

"Dad! Are you out of your mind!"

She rounded on him, her eyes regaining the fiery glare that she had worn so often around him. Gohan glared at him, willing himself not to smack the man around.

"Fakes huh? You still believe that those were tricks? Well how about this Hercule, maybe you'll remember better."

Videl's eyes widened and she backed away from her father, staring wide eyed at her friend. He pulled the blue top of his gi down around his waist and quickly removed the red shirt, dropping it with a weighted thunk at his feet, kicking up dust. He pointed with his right hand at his shoulder, displaying the scar for him to see.

"You remember how I got this? While you were hiding behind a rock pretending to have a stomach ache? You remember my father, your predecessor as world champion, saving your life by taking Cell away when he tried to destroy the planet? DOES ANY OF THIS RING A BELL TO YOU 'CHAMP'?"

He fought to control his rage, his jaw clenched and his fists balled tight. He felt his shoulder pop uncomfortably as his muscles tensed, and rage flushed through him. Videl watched him with wide eyes, realizing what she was witnessing. His eyes flashed white and a vein pulsed in his forehead. Gold streaks shot up his hair and wind whipped around them all. A golden aura burst up around him and his eyes flashed to a teal color. He completed his transformation, breathing heavily as he stared down the man before him. When his voice came again, it was quiet, but he knew that the man would hear every word.

"Do you recognize me now Hercule? Do you remember how I killed Cell?"

The man lost control of his legs, and he collapsed backwards onto his rear, his face as pale as the clouds in the sky. He nodded dumbly, and began stammering out apologies in an incoherent babble. He struggled with his words for a moment before a dumb smile took over, and his eyes rolled backwards into a faint. Gohan took a deep breath and closed his eyes, regaining control of himself slowly and returning to normal.

"Pathetic."

He returned his gi top to its place on his torso, not bothering to don the red shirt. He turned to the Videl, who was staring openly at him in awe and terror. He sighed heavily and gave her a weak smile, trying to put her more at ease. Some of the color returned to her face, and she regained some of her wits.

"I'm sorry Gohan, for all of this… This isn't how I wanted it to happen. I would have rather you told me yourself when you were ready."

"Videl, it's alright. To be honest, I was planning on telling you three I was Bardock later today. I wasn't planning on you finding out about everything else, but it seems it was unavoidable... Don't tell anyone else? I would rather do it on my own terms if you don't mind."

He tried not to sound too harsh, but knew his plea came out as more of a demand. She took it well though, and nodded her head in consent. She concentrated again, avoiding his eyes as she appeared to struggle with what was on her mind.

"Gohan, it might not be the most opportune time, but there's something I've been wanting to ask you since I found out who you were."

She glanced at him, looking for a sign that she was okay to continue. He narrowed his eyes, cocking his head to the side slightly, but gestured for her to continue with a wave of his hand.

"Well, I wanted to know if you could train me."

He watched her expression, considering her request. He had said to himself multiple times that she could be a fantastic fighter, probably as strong as Krillin one day if she applied herself. She was a generally good person, and her interest seemed genuine.

"Perhaps. I can't promise you anything right now, let me think about it."

Her face lit up, excited that he would consider it. She had half expected him to deny her outright. He smirked, thinking to himself that she looked like a kid who discovered Christmas had come early. He glanced over to where Hercule was lying unconscious, and nearly burst out in laughter when he realized that he had pissed himself out of fear. Videl glanced over and grimaced when she realized what he had done.

"Videl, I think you should fly to Bulma's on your own for now. I'll carry the giant baby back with me. I want to keep an eye on him for a couple days."

She nodded and mounted her jet-copter, starting up the engines and lifting off. Gohan strode over to the man, changing back into his Bardock disguise, and threw him over his shoulder, making sure to avoid the wet parts of his gi.

_That could have gone a lot worse. I thought for sure that I was going to lose it on her there. Why is it that I'm so able to accept this?_

He sighed and settled the large man into a comfortable spot before shoving his ki downwards and launching off the top of the building, headed back towards his Godmother's home.

**A/N: So who saw that one coming? Again, long chapter, but i'm just getting this ball rolling! There's a lot more to come, and the next chapter is already being written! You guys have fun, and don't forget to review! It gives me ideas =)**

**Oh also, just wanted to make a note here... With Saiyan bonding, I noticed that a lot of people choose to go with the 'hear your mates thoughts whenever you feel like' type bond. The one I added in this story is more along the lines of 'you can feel the other's emotions and passions if they are potent enough'... Hope that doesn't bug any of you guys!**


	17. The Beginning

**Hey guys, I return with another chapter! I'm afraid that this chapter didn't turn out the way I wanted the first time, and I decided to re-write it. Then my computer blue-screened me and I lost it, so here's take 3! Hopefully it gets recieved well =).**

**Anywhoo I'm super happy that the last chapter got so many good reviews. I halfway expected people to shoot down my idea of the reveal, but I'm glad to have been wrong. Keep the reviews coming, R&R and enjoy!**

**Chapter 17: The Beginning  
**

***CAPSULE CORP GROUNDS***

Lime paced the grassy field outside the gravity room restlessly. Worry gnawed at her heart and she glanced skywards every few seconds looking for her friends. The others had gotten up already and were relaxing in the rec-room, but Lime couldn't find it in herself to just sit back and wait. As soon as Gohan had left, she began to get a feeling of dread. Somehow she knew that something bad was going to happen. Her checking the news stations on the television didn't help her as she saw the burning docks district of Satan City as a helicopter flew over.

_I know that they can take care of themselves easy enough, but that looked so bad. Videl could get hurt, or her father could get hurt. Hell Gohan could get hurt if he's not careful! And then there's that damned brain of his, with his stupid temper and his stupid self-hatred! Come on guys, get back here safe!_

Her plea was answered as the distant roar of jet engines echoed through the grounds. She halted her pacing and turned her gaze skyward, shielding her eyes from the sun. There, far off in the distance and approaching fast was the red jet-copter that Videl had borrowed from Bulma. Apprehension built within her as it closed the distance and she tried to peer into the cockpit. She felt her stomach plummet when she could finally make out the pale and strained expression on Videl's face.

_Kami, what happened? She looks horrible!_

She rushed to the door of the cockpit and pulled it open. Videl just sat there, looking at her hands on the control stick of the 'copter. Lime ran her eyes over the girl quickly, searching for any sign of injury. Her shirt was ruffled a bit and slightly stained black from smoke, but there were no obvious wounds. She gripped her shoulder and shook the shell-shocked girl, snapping her out of her deep thought.

"Videl! Videl what's wrong? What happened? Nobody got hurt did they? Your father, he's not…"

Videl shook her head lightly and closed her eyes. She reached over and flipped the switch to the engines, killing them and gently pushing Lime aside so that she could dismount. She stepped off the copter shakily, her legs barely supporting her. Lime grabbed onto her shoulders and forced the girl to sit on the edge of the cockpit door-frame, crouching before her and staring into her eyes.

"Lime, I'm okay, just a little shaken."

"Shaken? Videl you're in a state of shock."

The raven haired girl let out a weak chuckle and gave her a nervous smile. Her smile slowly faded as they locked eyes, and Videl sighed heavily.

"I knew about Gohan, and now he's aware of it."

Lime couldn't contain her astonishment. She knew her jaw had just dropped and her eyes shot open wide as she searched the girl for any chance of deceit. But no, her current state was all too real. She had to know.

_No wonder she's so out of it! Shit, Gohan what did you do?!_

Before she knew what she was supposed to do, tears were welling up in those cerulean eyes as the girls shock began to wear off and her pent-up emotions came flooding forth.

"I've known since we met Krillin, I j-just didn't want to seem like I was snooping! I thought he had g-gotten himself killed and I screamed his name during the fight, while he was still Bardock, and I-… Kami I've n-never been so scared in my life, I thought for sure he was going to kill me and my father!"

Lime blanched, knowing the seriousness of what had transpired. Her dread dug into her stomach stronger than before and a list of horrible scenarios ran through her mind as she tried to imagine his reaction. Fearing the worst, she gripped the girl's shoulders and looked her in the eyes as a pair of tears fell from them.

"Videl, what did he do? Where is he? He didn't-"

"No! No he didn't do anything, just told me and father to meet him after the place was cleaned up. I thought he was going to explode, but he just questioned us."

She regained some of her color and took a shaky breath to calm herself. She wiped away the tears from her eyes with the back of one of her hands and let out a strangled laugh, catching Lime off-guard.

"I'm alright Lime, I fared better than my old man. He literally lost control of his bladder when Gohan transformed in front of us."

"Wait you saw him transform?"

She glanced over her shoulder towards the Capsule Corp building, making sure they were still alone. Videl grabbed her arm gently and pushed herself up to standing, bringing Lime with her. She gave her friend a small smile, clearing her throat and wiping her face of tears.

"Yea, I knew about that too though. Sorta. I knew that the gold fighter was Bardock."

Lime felt a dozen questions burst into her mind, wondering just how Videl had learned of Gohan's abilities and how much of his past she knew. But in the end, she reasoned that getting interrogated once, especially by an upset Gohan, was more than enough for one day. She resigned herself to silently watch the girl as she capsulized the jet-copter and looked skywards.

"He should be here shortly. He was carrying my father and-"

She was interrupted by a quiet whooshing sound as the subject of their discussion descended from a low flight, still disguised and carrying a damp Hercule. Videl raised one eyebrow in question as he straightened himself, hefting the larger man higher on his shoulder and striding towards them. He glanced over at his passenger, and Lime could just imagine the smirk through his helmet.

"He needed a bath."

Lime pinched the bridge of her nose, not liking the sound of that simple statement.

"Do I even want to know?"

"Drive-through car wash. He's still unconscious, but he smells better now."

She closed the distance between them, doing her best to control her temper as her frustration flared. Between scaring the life out of his friend and then his shenanigans towards the aged fighter, she thought he was being very immature. She poked him firmly in the chest, instantly regretting the action as her finger jolted with pain. She didn't let her discomfort show however, and continued to glare up at him.

"_We_ are going to have a talk later buster."

"Fine, but later. Let's get this oaf to the medical ward first so that someone can keep an eye on him."

Without waiting for a response he strode past his adopted sister and Videl towards the family dome and the medical area. Lime followed him with her glare before wrapping an arm around Videl's shoulder and leading her after the tall teen.

They strode through the building, passing the rec-room on their way into the medical wing. There was an excited squeal from somewhere behind them, and Lime turned to see Erasa and Sharpener jogging to catch up with them. As they neared, they realized what they were seeing and their expressions reflected their shock.

"Videl!"

"Mr. Satan!"

Sharpener rushed forwards to match Gohan's stride, looking closely at his hero draped over Bardock's shoulder. Erasa fell in next to her best friend, grabbing her shoulder with a worried expression.

"Videl, what's going on? Lime said you ran off to do some baddy-smashing and that your pops was involved! And is that…? Whoa Bardock!"

"Hey you, what did you do to the champ?"

Videl was about to give the blonde a stern command to shut his trap, but Gohan waved off the question with a grunt muffled behind his helmet.

"Scared the piss out of him. Literally, if it pleases you."

Sharpener halted, staring after the tall super-hero with a look of utter disbelief. Videl rolled her eyes and grabbed him by the front of his shirt as they passed him, dragging him along. They found themselves being led into the medical area of the Son ward, where the masked super-hero unceremoniously dropped the world champion on one of the beds there before turning his back and shutting the door behind the group. Sharpener immediately rushed to his hero's side, straightening him out on the bed with some reluctant assistance from Videl. Lime parted from the rest of the group and halted her adopted brother as he returned from the doorway.

"What are you doing?"

"This."

He gently nudged her to the side and firmly grasped Sharpener and Erasa by the shoulders, dragging them across the room and firmly seating them on a bench across from the champ's bed. They protested to being man-handled but quickly silenced themselves when he spoke. Behind his back, Lime walked over to place a reassuring hand on Videl's shoulder, watching her brother closely.

"Both of you, shut up and listen. You're about to learn something that is beyond sensitive in nature. I need to hear it from both of you right now that you won't disclose anything you're about to see."

He spoke quickly and firmly, making sure that the seriousness of the situation was easily understood. Erasa clenched her hands together in front of her chest, fearfully glancing between the tall super-hero and her best friend, who was staring at his back with a neutral expression. Sharpener looked to her as well, outrage evident on his face.

"Hey Videl, a little help here? Who does this guy think he is to treat us like this?"

She didn't come to his aid however, instead choosing to stare at the pattern on the sheets. Lime rolled her eyes and muttered out something along the lines of "dumb jocks".

"If you will shut up and agree with my terms, you'll find out."

He furrowed his brow and glared at the tall man, trying to see through the mask to his face. Still unsure what to think, he glanced over to his blonde friend, who was nodding slowly in agreement. Her look of awe and apprehension swayed his mind, and he sighed, gesturing with a wave that he agreed. A deep intake of breath could be heard from the man in front of them, and then he seemed to deflate slightly. His shoulder muscles relaxed and his arms unfolded from the front of his chest. He placed his right hand over his left wrist and fumbled with the fabric of his glove for a moment. Both the blondes held their breath in anticipation, and in a flash of light Bardock disappeared.

Gohan crossed his arms again, looking at sharpener with his ever-present glare. The two blondes blinked a few times, trying to register exactly who it was they were looking at. Sharpener could only stare at his tall friend as realization washed over him. He paled ever so slightly when he realized how he had been speaking to him only moments before. Erasa on the other hand regained her wits and a huge smile lit up her face. She bounced her feet on the ground a couple times excitedly before jumping up and hugging her tall friend with a squeal.

"Oh-this-is-too-cool-you're-Bardock-and-you've-been-helping-Videl-fight-crime-and-"

She gasped and her eyes widened as she looked from Gohan's startled face to Videl's downcast one.

"You knew it was him! I knew you were hiding something from me!"

She pouted slightly, but before anyone could really comprehend what was happening her face lit up again and she was hugging Gohan with a delighted giggle. He raised an eyebrow in confusion, looking between Lime and Videl for signs of what he should do. The two young women were just as baffled at their bubbly friend's behavior and shrugged.

_Women. I don't get it. I can comprehend some of the most complicated technologies in Bulma's labs but I can't figure out women. _

***A COUPLE HOURS LATER – SON MEDICAL WARD***

"So let me get this straight. Videl knew he was Bardock, the Gold Fighter, and the Delivery boy? And he _didn't_ do anything drastic when he discovered she had found out without his consent?"

Bulma raised her eyebrows in surprise as she repeated what her best friend had just told her. Across the room from them, Vegeta was glaring at the man cowering in the chair next to where he was leaned up against the wall. Hercule Satan had recovered from his faint to find himself in the company of the three adults deep in conversation about the events that had happened earlier. Chi Chi spared him a quick glance and a smirk before returning her eyes to the CC heiress.

"Well, he didn't kill anyone at least. Though he did mention that he came close to kicking Hercule here off the top of your tower in Satan City."

Vegeta snorted, a satisfied smirk appearing on his face as he watched the world champ. Bulma looked towards her husband, still lost in thought about her godson.

_This is very bizarre. He's always been so touchy when it came to his past because of Goku. Just from past experience I would have expected him to be furious, and a furious Gohan results in big explosions and dead people. Instead he was calm, almost seemed to be glad that his secret was out. Maybe it's Videl changing him?... Better keep an eye on him._

"The brat should have gone through with it just to seal off this loose end in my opinion. We all know how this fool goes about with the media."

The champ blanched and shook his head violently at his words, nearly making Bulma burst out into laughter.

"Please no! I swear I won't say anything! Look I've kept your secret for all these years, except for to my daughter! I remember you from the Cell games, I know you were there but I haven't said anything!"

Vegeta grunted, his smirk disappearing as the realization hit him. It was true, Hercule had been keeping the truth from the public for years, even though it had resulted in his current wealth and fame. However there was no motive for him to want to keep Gohan's identity secret when it came to Bardock.

"Don't forget you over-grown baboon, we know what would happen if it ever got out that you weren't actually the world savior. _If _you let slip the true identity of Bardock, then a very pissed off Gohan is going to be the least of your worries. In fact I may plant the idea for him to come clean to the world about Cell and then throw you to the wolves when they come for you."

It was a hollow threat really. He knew what sort of affect revealing such a life-changing piece of information could do to the world, and though he despised most humans, Earth was his home now. But the threat had the desired effect, and the big man just gulped and nodded his head in fear. Bulma nodded, amused that her husband was enjoying himself so much torturing the guy.

"Good. Now Chi, you said that Gohan was taking them all through the basic information?"

The Son matriarch sighed and nodded, her face grim.

"The twins and Trunks are with them. Lime said that since Videl had already figured out so much, Gohan had decided to fill the other two in with just as much information. He's not planning on revealing his heritage or any of the fights before Cell. More of a Q and A type thing I think, with Lime, Trunks, and the twins there to help him."

"Well… I just hope that Goku doesn't get dragged into the discussion, I don't think he's quite ready for that. It makes me happy that he's finally making some friends though."

Chi Chi smiled brightly, and threw a suggestive glance at the world champ.

"I think sending him to high school was a good idea! He might even find himself a woman to marry in Erasa or Videl!"

His face flushed in unspoken outrage and she could practically hear his brain steaming at the thought of her Gohan stealing Videl from the champ. She applauded herself in her mind, glad that she was able to mess with the man's head.

***SON WARD LIVING AREA***

"So, now you all know. Did I miss anything?"

He glanced over at Lime and forced himself to relax. Yea he had agreed that the three teens with them were close enough to be in on his past, but it was still difficult to talk about. She gave him a reassuring smile and shook her head. He gazed around at his friends and family. The two blondes stared at him in disbelief. The bomb that had just been dropped on them completely changed their perspective of the world. Sharpener recovered first, finding his voice.

"You? You killed Cell? _You _are the delivery boy? And _you_ killed Cell, not Mr. Satan? How can we be sure?"

"I can vouch for that one, dad admitted it to me openly a couple years ago. That's why I started fighting crime in the City."

The group all looked surprised at the raven haired crime fighter. Gohan nodded his head, his stare blanking out as he pieced that part of Videl's life together.

_Ah, so that was her motive. How honorable of her, taking on the scum of the city to pay back for her father's lie. I can only imagine how _that_ conversation went._

"Okay fine let's say Hercule didn't kill Cell. How can Gohan be the delivery boy? He was blonde…"

The tall demi quirked an eyebrow at him and calmly transformed without as much as a grunt. There was a quick burst of wind and then it grew calm again. The two blondes eyes snapped wide and he heard a sharp intake of breath from Videl.

_Oh yea, the last time she saw me like this I was about ready to take Hercule to hell and back. I'm going to have to apologize to her at some point for that._

He started when he realized that Erasa was standing next to him, gently tugging on his hair with a perplexed expression. He winced but didn't move, allowing her to look closely before transforming back to normal and reverting his hair and eyes back to black. She let out a small "eep" and jerked back at the change.

"Whoa that's cool! I mean, it's not like it was dyed, your hair _actually_ seemed to glow from each strand! It was like glow-sticks or something!"

He cocked an eyebrow and gave her a sideways glance while Lime giggled. Sharpener continued to stare at Gohan, letting it all sink in. Erasa sat back down next to her best friend and leaned forward to rest her arms on her knees, her face full of excitement.

"So those lights and stuff we saw? What are those?"

He ran a hand through his hair, wondering how best to explain what ki was. Deciding it wouldn't hurt to show them, he held a hand out in front of him and pushed a tiny amount of energy into it, creating an egg-sized ball of ki that glowed gold with warm energy. Erasa's face glowed with it as she leaned forward to peer into the ball of light. Videl stood and walked around her friend to inspect it for herself, and Sharpener looked at it with his head tilted to the side. Videl slowly raised a hand to eye level and, after casting a nervous glance at the tall teen, reached out to gingerly poke it. Gohan allowed a smile to dance on his lips as her finger made contact and her face lit up with excitement.

"That's what we call ki, and what your father calls 'light tricks'. The easiest way to explain it is that it is literally the life-energy within all of us. There are very few who can access it willingly, and even less who can control it."

"Whoa… Cool…"

"It's… Well it's warm, but not… It's different than the ones i've seen you use. The one you stuck in my face at the hospital that first time felt hot, and almost angry."

Gohan ceased the flow of energy and the ball of light dissipated, leaving a slightly disappointed group of teenagers looking at where it had just been. He dropped his hand and stared seriously at Videl.

"The ki blasts you've seen me make, including the one that I almost hit you with when you first met Bardock, were no different than what you were just touching. They were just much more powerful. Like I said, controlling that much energy takes practice, and there aren't many who could do it."

Sharpener furrowed his brow and cleared his throat, looking at Gohan quizzically.

"So then that means that you need to be strong to control this ki stuff right? I mean I've heard stories of you doing things like throwing cars! "

"Well not necessarily, but it's a good idea to be physically strong. One way to get stronger is by ki manipulation, which is basically what my gold-fighter form, as you call it, is used for. You fill your muscles with extra energy and it reinforces them."

_I don't think they're quite ready to learn that I'm only half human just yet. If they can accept all of this then maybe some other time. But I don't want them to reject me for being an alien._

He looked between the three, gauging their reactions. Sharpener still looked skeptical but held his tongue. He decided to instead stare off into nothingness as he gathered his thoughts. Erasa just sat there beaming at him, her excitement and adoration of him bubbling over. Videl glanced over to the three children who were sitting on the floor patiently watching the teens talk. A thought seemed to occur to her and she returned her gaze to Gohan's.

"Hey Gohan, you said that there aren't many people who can control their ki. What about Goten and Ria?"

Before the tall teen could even respond the twins hopped up excitedly and started babbling at the raven haired girl.

"Yea I can do it!"

"Me too! But I'm stronger!"

"No you're not! You're just a boy it doesn't mean you're stronger!"

"Yea huh!"

"Nuh uh!"

"I'm even stronger than Gohan was at our age! He told me!"

Trunks chose that moment to pipe up and add his voice to the mix. Lime face palmed and Gohan rolled his eyes, glaring at Videl as if to say "Now look what you've done". She smiled apologetically and watched the three children argue.

"I'm stronger than both of you and you know it!"

"No you're not Trunks!"

"Yea, and besides we have Gohan to help us!"

"You wouldn't need Gohan if you were better than me!"

"Oh yea well-…"

"_And_ I can fly! You two still can't!"

The twins halted their argument and glared at their lavender-haired friend's smug expression. Lime snorted and the three other teens watched the exchange closely. Erasa and Sharpener seemed to still be having difficulty wrapping their minds around all of the new information. Videl considered the twins' situation and an idea popped into her head that would help them all. She glanced over at Gohan as he rose to leave.

"I think that's enough information for one day. I'm starving! I haven't eaten yet."

The three small children emerged from their argument with a cheer, excited at the prospect of food. They ran out the door in the direction of the kitchen with Gohan walking slowly behind them. Videl took the opportunity to give chase, catching up to him and sending Lime a significant look that said "Hold them up?". Lime nodded subtly and turned to the blondes.

"Hey guys, hang on a sec. I wanted to talk to you about something."

As they rounded the corner, Gohan gave her a quizzical look.

"Sorry, I just didn't want Erasa or Sharpener to hear any of this. I just wanted to know if you had considered what we talked about earlier? About training?"

He furrowed his brow and locked his gaze to the front, considering her request yet again.

"Well, I had another idea too. Trunks said that the twins couldn't fly, so why don't you train all of us? Of course I was hoping for a more comprehensive training but-"

"Videl you know that it won't be easy right? What you're asking for was one of the most difficult things for me to learn. My first mentor eventually wound up throwing me at a cliff to get me to control my ki."

Her eyebrows shot up into her hair and her mouth hung open in surprise. She felt a pang of fear at the prospect of getting thrown at, or off of, a cliff. He glanced over at her and smirked at her reaction.

"Don't worry I don't think that's the most effective way to train someone who is our age and already skilled in martial arts."

She pouted and glared at him.

"Jerk… Wait does that mean you're agreeing?"

"Well if I'm such a jerk then maybe not…"

She shook her head and started stammering out apologies about how he wasn't really a jerk and she was just kidding. He smirked and rolled his eyes, nudging her with his elbow.

"It's fine short stop. I'll figure out a training routine for you, since I can't babysit you on a daily basis. We'll talk about it tonight after dinner if you'd like."

Her face lit up in a bright smile and she nodded her agreement. They walked in silence for a short while until Gohan felt his guilt get the better of him and he dropped his gaze.

"I have been a jerk though."

"How so?"

He paused a moment, refusing to make eye contact with her as they walked. He could feel her eyes on him, boring into the side of his head.

"For the way that I acted when you blurted out my name when I was on fire. I know that I was being too harsh on you. I know that you were genuinely worried about me, and I should have just told you all of this earlier. I automatically thought the worst when it happened, thinking that you and your father would reveal it to the world. I'm sorry if I frightened you, I just had to know how and why."

The silence dragged on as they walked, the clicking of their shoes on the tile floors the only sound in the long hall. Finally, Videl broke the silence with a ragged breath, and he could practically feel the tension flowing from her.

"It was horrifying seeing you that way today. I've met some really bad people, but none of them have ever been able to scare me the way you did, and you're the good guy. I wasn't sure if I was going to live past that rooftop when you told us to meet you there."

He gulped past the lump forming in his throat and chanced a quick glance at his friend.

_Friend... Yea. She is my friend. One of the few I have that are really my friends, and I turned around and did that to her. Damn what have I turned into if I'm suddenly scarier than the bad-guys i'm sworn to defend against?_

"But I know why you did what you did Gohan, and I could never hold it against you, no matter how harsh. Just remember that I don't think of you any different that I did yesterday."

The words sounded sweet to his ears, and he accepted her statement. But it did nothing to release the tension on his heart. He knew that he would need to make it up to the girl in some way to regain the honor that he felt he had lost. He chanced another look at her and was surprised to see she had a distant look in her eyes and a small smirk on her face.

"And remind me to never be on the receiving end of your interrogations if I ever slip up again."

They locked eyes a moment, and he couldn't help but let a smile form on his lips. He knew that it was a hollow smile, but was in a state of mind that would not allow him to put any real amount of emotion behind it. He broke the eye contact, staring ahead as they passed through the entryway to the rec-room. A silence settled between the two, each lost in their own thoughts. They crossed the room, approaching the doors to the kitchen. Before they reached it, he glanced behind them to see the blondes and Lime emerge from the Son ward access door. He nudged her and indicated towards them with his head.

"Why didn't you want the other two to know about the training?"

"Well honestly I would rather they didn't know I was going to learn this stuff. Not yet anyways, I was thinking about using it at the tournament. On top of that, Sharpener get's jealous easily. He thinks that if I can do it, so can he. So unless you'd rather have him under your wing too..."

Gohan smirked and rolled his eyes.

_I don't think I could teach that meat-head how to find his ki if my life depended on it._

"Not a chance."

***THAT NIGHT - LIME'S ROOM***

_**Knock! knock!**_

_"_Hang on a sec."

Lime quickly pulled on a pair of pajama pants and a baggy t-shirt and walked towards the door, tossing her wavy hair over her shoulder to flow down her back. She cracked it to find Gohan on the other side of the door wearing a confused expression and a concentrated frown. She pulled the door the rest of the way open and stood aside so that he could enter. He silently strode over to her bed and sat down on the foot of it, clasping his hands together and resting his elbows on his knees.

_Yup, something's definitely eating at him. I wonder if it has to do with whatever he and Videl were talking about? I didn't get a word out of him at dinner. Videl either._

She shut the door and strode to the desk across from the bed, pulling out the chair and sitting in it, knee-to-knee with the demi. She waited for him to say something, but silently knew that she would have to start this conversation. She crossed her arms and looked him in the face, though he didn't return her gaze.

"You had me worried today when you left. I had a gut feeling something big was going to happen, and I couldn't have been more right."

Again he just sat there, staring at nothing in particular. She wasn't even sure if he was listening to her. She took a deep breath and continued, dropping the question that had been itching at her all day while trying to refrain from making it sound accusing.

"What did you do when you found out?"

This time her words were definitely heeded, and she almost felt bad for asking the question when his hurt filled eyes found hers. She watched his eyes twitch back and forth between hers, and his jaw muscles quivered with tension. She held the gaze, inwardly begging him to tell her what was bothering him so much.

"I treated her like I would a criminal. Made demands of her and threatened her if she didn't comply. I became the villain to get what I wanted from her."

The last sentence rang through her head a couple times before it clicked.

"Gohan-"

"You wanna know the worst part Lime? When I spoke to her about it, she said that she feared me more in that moment than any opponent she had ever fought. Yet she also said she doesn't think any less of me for what I did. That she still wants to be friends, after all I've done to her."

"That's not a bad thing Gohan! She's forgiven you for it."

An uneasy silence settled between the two of them. Gohan's expression remained distressed, and his eyes continued to search hers.

"How do you do it Lime? How do you find it in yourself to care for me, knowing how bad I am? Ever since Cell I've been so full of anger and hate, but you never walked away. And now the others, especially Videl, are always trying to spend time with me. Why do you care about me?"

The questions sent her heart pounding in her chest. The depth of his self-loathing again showing itself to her through his eyes and the soft tone of his voice. The answer was an obvious one to her. Articulating it into words was difficult however, and it took her a few seconds to consider his question. He continued to gaze at her, nervously wringing his hands.

"Gohan, You're not a bad person. You've been through a lot in your short life and you are still, in my eyes, the best person in the world. You're not perfect by any means, but you wouldn't be the Gohan I love if you were."

The tall demi-saiyan averted his eyes from hers, choosing to stare at his hands. She gently reached over and slipped her small delicate fingers into his rough ones. He gently returned the affectionate squeeze of her hand, and she smiled at him, hoping against all odds that her words would finally help him heal.

"And I do love you Gohan... Do you remember when I gave you that ring?"

She pointed to the object in question hanging around his neck. He reached up and gripped it in his free hand, feeling the smooth surface of the petrified grass against his calloused hands. He blinked a couple times, his eyes taking on a distant stare and a small smile danced on his lips.

**_...She paused and held it up for Gohan to see. It was a simple ring, too small to have fit on anyone's finger, but it was beautiful. The different colors of the grass blended together to make it multi-colored._**

**_"Gohan I know what you're feeling. I lost both of my parents when cell attacked and I remember what it felt like. But you're the closest friend I have, and you're like a brother to me. Just know that I don't care what it's about, that you can always come talk to me alright?"_**

**_She pressed the ring of grass into his palm, wrapping his hand in her two smaller ones and smiling weakly at him..._**

"I loved you then, and it's only become stronger since that day. I've seen you change. I've seen the terrible anger you can have, but I _know _in my heart who you are. You will always be that loving older brother, and my greatest friend. I stand by what I said then. You will always have me, no matter what."

His glassy-eyed gaze was all she needed to know that her words had struck home. She knew he was fighting to hide his feelings, and stood to lean in and give him a hug to allow him the luxury of hiding his face. He caught her completely off guard by returning the hug in full, an occurrence that had rarely ever happened before. She beamed behind his back, elated that her words had had such an impact. She maintained the embrace, patiently waiting for him to loosen his hold on her, signifying he had recovered his composure. When he did, she pushed herself back to look him directly in the eye.

"And I know that the others will be the same, even Sharpener. We all know who you are Gohan, even when you try to hide it from us behind that evil little smirk of yours."

As if on cue, he smirked at her and wrinkled his nose at her in mock annoyance. She giggled and gently shoved his shoulder before seating herself back in the chair, her heart soaring at how well things had gone.

"Now Gohan, tell me what you and miss Videl were talking about that was so important I had to hold back the blondes?"

***0600 THE NEXT MORNING***

Videl pulled her hair into her usual pigtails as she strode down the halls of Son ward. It wasn't all that early for her, but the night before had been a long and sleepless one. Her thoughts had been a blend of excitement and apprehension about the coming training. On top of that she felt strange about the events of the day, like she had imagined it all. She had eventually drifted off to a light slumber with the onyx-eyed teen on her mind, only to be startled awake by the alarm clock going off next to her head.

She couldn't help the excited smile that graced her lips as she passed through the entry to the rec-room. She walked towards the roped off ring where Gohan stood watching both of his little siblings in their meditation. She was amazed that he had managed to get them to wake up at such an early hour, and even more amazed that he had gotten them to settle down enough to meditate. She approached him quietly, doing her best not to disturb the three of them in their silent contemplation.

"Good morning Videl."

She froze in her tracks, staring at his back in disbelief.

_How in the world did he know I was there? That's got to be a part of the training he's received. I need to learn how to do that._

"Hey Gohan. Ready to start?"

"Apprehensive I see? Well let's start with a simple warm-up. I know you're strong and skilled, but I want to get a good idea of where you stand right now. So I want you to do two thinsg. First, go ahead and perform a kata or two."

He gestured for her to begin, and without hesitation she flowed into a Kata her father had taught her when she was younger. It was the most advanced one that was taught in his school, and she flowed through the movements with ease. It only lasted a minute or so, and she finished in the same position she began, facing the tall teen in a calm ready position with her hands at her sides and her feet slightly spread. He watched her closely, pursing his lips here and there with evident frustration, but held his comments. She raised an eyebrow at him, slightly puzzled by his evident dissatisfaction and more than a little offended. She had spent hours perfecting all of the kata's taught in her father's dojo.

"I'm curious, could you demonstrate the most basic kata you know for me?"

_The most basic? What's he trying to do here, make me look a fool?_

'Well you did ask him to train you. Maybe there's a reason for it?'

_I don't see how me doing the kata he teaches four year old kids is going to benefit me._

'Humor him?'

_Fine._

She silently began the kata, which was a very simple combination of wide stances, simple punches, and kicks. It emphasized power and balance, and within a little less than a minute, she completed it, returning to the ready. Much to her surprise, when she looked to her new instructor, he was wearing a smirk and stroking his chin in thought. She crossed her arms and waited patiently for him.

"Good enough, now I want you to attack me. Don't hold anything back."

He looked over his shoulder to where his siblings were and placed his hands on his hips.

"Alright kids, that should do for now. Do me a favor and watch Videl? I want you to observe everything she does okay?"

Instantly they snapped out of their serene state and jumped up from their places to rush to the edge of the ring. They seated themselves on their knees with their hands placed on their laps and watched Videl with wide eyes, though she hadn't moved a muscle yet. She fought to contain her laughter at their antics.

_Darned kids are just too cute!_

'Almost makes you wish you had your own huh?'

_Nope stop that! Not right now! Don't think about it..._

Videl returned her gaze towards her instructor and felt her stomach flip-flop. She hated how her mind kept running off to places where she and Gohan were alone and enjoying each-other's... Company... She cleared her throat, fighting to control the heat in her face as she noticed his nose twitch, just as Vegeta's had when they first met.

_Kami that's kinda creepy actually. I don't smell that bad do I? I shower on a regular basis! Well, better get on with this before it gets too awkward._

"So should I attack you now?"

He settled himself into a relaxed fighting stance, one hand held forward in a claw and the rear hand clenched in a fist at his waist. He wiggled the index finger of his forward hand, beckoning her to attack with a smirk on his face.

_Oh that arrogant little..._

She let out a low growl and dropped into her own fighting stance, modeled after her fathers with her weight mostly on her front leg and her hands up in a guard, protecting her face and ribs. She lunged forward, initiating the attack with a round-house aimed at the exposed side of his head. He countered by bringing his rear arm up and quickly pushing her leg aside, using her own momentum against her and forcing her off balance. She recovered quickly, settling herself into her stance again and glaring at him.

_Damn, he's fast! I mean I knew he was fast already, but damn!_

She pushed her attack again, this time flowing into a series of heavy strikes, aimed primarily at his head and chest. Each strike was countered by a lightning fast block or, in most cases, by the demi simply forcing the strike wide and making Videl compensate for the over-extension. Her frustration grew rapidly with each strike until she let out an enraged snarl and sent a side-kick his direction with all her mass behind it. He side-stepped, closing the distance between them down to mere inches and sent an open-palmed strike into her side. She felt the air get forced out of the lung on the side he had hit as she seemingly floated through the air and away from him.

She regained her balance and landed on her feet, staggering back a few steps and clutching her side as she panted for air. She glared at him hard, astounded at the force with which he had hit her. He momentarily showed an emotion resembling worry, but recomposed his neutral expression before she could fully register it. They just stood there sizing each other up for a moment until Gohan stood straight and closed his eyes, taking a deep breath.

"That's enough. Okay you two, what did you see? Why did Videl lose?"

Videl stood straight, massaging her ribs that she knew were going to bruise and wishing she could do the same for her ego. She hated that she had been defeated so easily by the guy.

_I knew he was good, after all i've seen the guy do some pretty crazy things as Bardock. But he swept me aside like I was an amateur. I thought I would at least be able to land a hit on him!_

She turned her eyes to the two children, who didn't seem surprised by the outcome at all, and almost had to laugh at the serious expressions on both of their faces as they watched her. It was just so out of character seeing them with anything besides that goofy grin they both wore. Suddenly Goten brightened his expression, grinning up at his older brother.

"Well she can't beat you Gohan, you're too strong for that!"

Videl felt a heat in her face and glanced over towards Gohan, who appeared to be as nervous as she was embarrassed. He scratched the back of his head and his cheeks took on a slightly pink hue.

"Okay, disregarding the fact that I could overpower her... What about the way she fights?"

Ria tilted her head to the side and concentrated while Goten pouted slightly. Videl raised an eyebrow towards the three of them, suddenly feeling very naive.

_What does he know that I don't? I've been fighting for years, probably even as long as him, yet he noticed something wrong with the way I fight? I've never had a problem taking down other fighters before, so what is it?_

Seeing how neither of the children were catching on, Gohan sighed and crossed his arms. He looked directly at her, catching her gaze in his own.

"You fight like your father."

"So?"

"So? You're not exactly a carbon copy of him are you? Last I checked you weren't six and a half feet tall and muscle-bound."

She was about to retort when what he was getting at began to make sense. She had only ever learned the Karate her father taught at his dojo. His brand of it was focused mostly on powerful strikes and wearing down your opponent in a battle of attrition, and while she was extremely tough for someone her size, she really couldn't match her father for strength just on the grounds that she was so much smaller than him. At the side of the ring, Goten and Ria both seemed to come to the same conclusion as she had, and looked up at their brother excitedly.

_Maybe if I could use my ki for strength like Gohan was talking about yesterday... _

_"_I see you've figured it out short-stop. Someone your size and stature needs to focus on speed and accuracy since strength is not something that comes easily for you. So here's lesson one of your training. We're going to modify your fighting style. I can't un-teach you what you've learned, but I can show you ways to make it work better."

And so her first lesson began. He showed her a modified stance for her to use that evenly distributed her weight and made it much easier for her to move, yet still have the ability to put her weight behind a strike. He even taught her a strange kata that he called "hand of the demon", which he said would help her adjust to the new style quickly. When she asked about the name, he simply stated that he didn't pick it, his instructor had. They were only at it for an hour, but by the time she had run through it for what felt like the hundredth time, she was coated in a light sheen of sweat and panting slightly. She felt slightly degraded, upset that she hadn't gotten to any of the ki training she longed for so much.

"I admit i'm impressed Videl. I didn't expect you to pick up on these things so quickly."

_Pick up on them? We haven't really done anything except teach me a new kata! _

"Now, I only have two more things for today for you. First, and answer me honestly, do you know why I had you do that second kata?"

Her frustration with him pushed to the fore-front of her mind, and she spat the answer at him a little more venomous than she intended.

"No. What was the point of that? I already showed you the most advanced one I knew."

He smirked at her, sending her irritation to a new high.

"I had to see what foundation your fighting style was built on. That's the exact reason I showed you the hand of the demon as well. The hand of the demon is the simplest kata from my first mentor's fighting style. You can change your entire fighting form by simply shifting the foundation."

She grunted in acknowledgement, understanding the concept behind it but still feeling skeptical that anything he had just taught her would help her to fight.

"What's the second thing?"

He nodded over to where the two children were seated again, calm expressions on their faces.

"Meditation. You need to learn to calm your mind and focus on yourself until you can access your ki at will. I warn you, this is going to be one of the harder things you've done."

_Hard? Oh come on, you literally just sit there and do nothing. Even the kids can do it!_

Only five minutes later did she realize how hard it truly was to meditate. She was seated with her legs crossed with her hands on her knees, palms towards each other. She couldn't empty her mind, and she had no clue what he meant by his instructions to "listen to her body until she found a hum". She'd been in that body for over eighteen years and there had never been a "hum". She scrunched her face in concentration and sub-consciously tensed her shoulders.

"Videl you need to relax. Believe me you won't find your ki unless you relax completely."

She groaned and opened her eyes, crossing her arms in front of her chest. Overwhelming doubt came crashing down on her heart as she considered the possibility that maybe she didn't have what it took. Gohan watched her closely, trying to decide the best course of action for her. Inspiration struck and a smirk appeared on his face. He shifted his weight so that he could roll over onto his knees from his position sitting across from her, and shuffled his way to being right in front of her. She glared up at him hopelessly, her eyes full of sorrow.

"Maybe if you knew what it was supposed to feel like? Here, hold out your hands."

She furrowed her brow, but did as he asked. He took hold of her hands in his own and held them up between them with a small space in between. Her stomach knotted at the contact and the close proximity and she knew her blush betrayed her thoughts as she fought to contain her excitement. However he appeared not to notice anything, and continued in low tones that echoed through her head and sent chills down her spine.

"I'm going to try and assist you in finding your ki, so I need you to relax. Do not be afraid of what you feel. First, close your eyes."

_Kami this is so not cool! If he kept talking to me like that i'd strip on command... No stop! Focus!_

She quickly shut her eyes, willing her heart to slow it's pounding in her chest.

"Now relax. Deep breaths. In through the nose, and out through the mouth."

_Dammit just stop talking and maybe I can! Grr you and your damn... sexy... voice!_

Willing herself to be calm, she followed his instructions, breathing in through her nose deeply. All at once she felt her nerves and anxiety melt away under the influence of the most amazing smell. It cut right through her other senses and she lost herself in the smell of fresh woodland air. Her muscles gave up their tension immediately and she felt a calm come over her mind that she hadn't felt for years. In place of her constant worries and doubts, there was nothing. Behind her eyes she saw only black as she exhaled and inhaled, reveling in the scent. Then came the strange sensations.

Gohan's hands never left hers, but she could feel a strange tug in her stomach that somehow seemed to be connected to them. Warmth spread from the back of her hands into her arms and straight to her core. She felt the urge to fight the feeling, but suppressed it.

_Don't be afraid of what you feel. Listen to your body. __There._

She felt the nothingness that was he body at rest. She heard it. There in her core, she could feel the warmth. It was subtle at first, easily missed, but soon seemed to glow in her mind's eye. Then she could hear it, just as she felt it. That hum he had spoke of. The heat radiating from it emerged, flowing through her chest and following the trail the earlier warmth had traced through her body until it paused at her hands. Her fingers tingled with warmth and she felt Gohan's hands leave her own, leaving the back of her hands slightly cold.

"There, now look."

She opened her eyes and had to suppress her shout of joy for there in between her outstretched palms was a ping-pong ball sized ball of ki that glowed with a very white-blue hue.

**A/N: So if anyone want's to know, I always though it was silly that Gohan taught Videl how to fly in the anime, but nothing more. I'm not saying anything about upcoming chapters *cough*, just making a personal note. Stay tuned for the next chapter!**


	18. The Moment of Truth

**Hallo! Okay so I had a lot of internal debate on what I should do this chapter. I had a basic idea for what to do, but probably a dozen different avenues of approach for it. Read on my good people, and let me know how my decision was! Thanks for all the reviews, right quick I have to make a shout out though:**

**Dyton - your review literally made me laugh out loud. That image of the car-wash wasn't what I had in mind, but that quickly changed as soon as I read it! You made a very long and slow night at work a million times better!**

**Anyways, on to the chapter! R&R and enjoy!**

**Chapter 18: The Moment of Truth  
**

***HALLOWEEN NIGHT – WEST CITY SUB-URBS***

"SUGAR-SUGAR-SUGAR-SUGAR-SUGAR-"

Gohan sighed and picked up his little brother from behind, doing his best to suppress the boy's energy in a firm embrace while little Marron skipped along next to him happily. The night was crisp and cool, and smelled of autumn. But despite the calm feel of the night air, the street was abuzz with activity as children and parents roamed from house to house, collecting candy in the human ritual of trick or treat. His little brother was practically vibrating with pent-up energy and Gohan mentally kicked himself for allowing the child to get into his candy bag before they got back to Bulmas. He glanced over at his little gang, checking on their progress as the kids ran about trick or treating.

One house down was Erasa and Sharpener dressed in a Mario-Peach costume combo. Erasa pulled the Princess peach look perfectly, even donning a wig to get her hair the right length, while Sharpener was wearing a ridiculous looking false mustache and had a pillow stuffed in his overalls to make him look more expansive. They escorted a very hyper Trunks, who had disguised himself as what Gohan could only describe as a "tiki demon". He was wearing a roughly carved wooden mask that looked like it had been pulled right off of a tiki totem, fangs included. He wore an over-sized grass skirt that rustled with every movement and was toting a vicious looking fake spear that he waved about excitedly. The two blondes chased him around, exhausted and looking quite disgruntled.

Beyond them he spotted Videl and Lime as they followed around his little sister. Lime had chosen to wear a very good mock-up of Lara Croft, complete with fake pistols and thigh-holsters. Ria had decided to wear a "Videl Satan" costume, much to the raven haired girl's embarrassment. She even had the crime fighter's glare down, which sent the others into a fit of giggles at the uncanny resemblance. Videl decided that one of her on the scene was more than enough, and wore a Kitana costume from Mortal Kombat. The blue fighter's robe she wore was much less risqué than what was displayed in the video game, but still showed off enough of her features to make Gohan's blood boil. She even had the fans and mask to complete the look, and in Gohan's opinion, she pulled it off a little too well.

He himself had even decided to dress up for the occasion, going with the Mortal Kombat theme by dressing as Scorpion. The mask that covered the lower half of his face glowed with a golden yellow that was ever-present in his field of view, and the costume itself felt constricting. He secretly wondered how Scorpion could be such a great fighter in such a tight pair of pants.

Goten was dressed as Bardock, having had Bulma create him a miniature version of Gohan's fighting suit, minus the watch. At first Gohan had been fully against the idea, fearing that he would somehow let loose the real identity of Bardock. But he had gradually relented under the persuasion of his siblings and Lime. After all, how could he deny his little brother the right to want to be like him? Marron was dressed up as a fairy, complete with a tiny pair of sparkly wings and a star wand. Her father strode along slightly behind Gohan in his normal clothes, watching the group with an air of amusement.

Gohan glanced over at his Godfather as he struggled with the hyped up demi-saiyan, his eyes begging for assistance. Krillin just chuckled and scratched the back of his head, ruffling his black hair.

"Nope, can't do anything for you here Gohan. I'm not willing to put my face on the line again, much less any other sensitive body parts. Besides, you're the one who let him eat all those candies."

Gohan gave him a quick glare with his eyes narrowed that said "yea huh, sure". It was true, Goten had unintentionally kicked their godfather in the face when he was only two years old. But that had been on accident, and Gohan knew that it hadn't really hurt the seasoned fighter. Right now he was sure that Krillin just wanted to watch him suffer.

He returned his eyes to the struggling form of his little brother, who was now dangling upside down by his ankles as Gohan fought to hold him.

"Gohan let me go! Please? I wanna go play with Trunks!"

Gohan rolled his eyes and could just imagine the look his little brother was giving him through the mini helmet he was wearing slightly askew on his head. He smirked behind the face mask and sighed before releasing his brother's legs and watching him zip off to catch his best friend.

_Well, have fun with that one guys. Erasa and Sharpie are going to hate me for that._

Gohan halted to watch after the young demi-saiyan as he sped towards an unsuspecting Trunks and tackled him from the side, just as the door he had been standing in front of opened. He couldn't help it, he had to laugh at the look on the young woman's face as she stared blankly at the spot where the child had been a second before.

_Gotta love kids. I swear, between the three of them, I could either die from laughter or die from embarrassment. It all depends what side of their shenanigans I'm on._

"So Gohan, tell me, is it true that you've taken on a couple students?"

He returned his gaze to the seasoned warrior as he picked up his daughter and strode over to where Gohan was. He nodded, reminiscing on the twins' progress with learning how to fly and Videl's dedication to finding her ki. While the raven haired girl had been having difficulty recreating the ball of ki on her own over the week, she had finally managed to access it earlier that morning, if only for a second. It was a huge step in her abilities. Additionally she had already managed to alter her fighting style into something that fit her very well, though he knew she doubted it. As they were living in the same building for the last week, their morning training sessions had gone unhindered and she was learning very fast.

"Yea, Videl and the twins both came to me right after that incident in the docks district of Satan City."

The older man's expression darkened slightly as he glanced around Gohan to where Videl and Lime could be seen laughing at the two boys as they wrestled for control of the spear and Ria munched away on their candy.

"Speaking of, are you sure that these guys are okay with all this? I mean I don't know them personally but them knowing is a huge risk on your part."

"Krillin, just stop. They're my friends, and I trust them."

The words came out much more forceful than he intended, causing his godfather to stare at him, taken aback. He relaxed his glare, realizing just how much the fighter's subtle accusation had actually affected him. He pondered his outburst for a moment, trying to remember just when it mattered to him so much what people thought of his friends.

"Alright Gohan, I got it, they can be trusted. I'm just looking out for you is all."

Gohan sighed and relaxed, clapping his godfather on the shoulder.

"I know Krillin. Sorry about that, it's just been so long you know? I mean since I had normal friends. Actually now that I think about it there never really were, unless you count a giant purple dragon who thinks he's a dog."

"Well what about Lime?"

Gohan smirked and raised an eyebrow at the older man.

"Well she's not exactly normal is she? Remember Krillin she's my sister in all but blood. Saying that she was a friend would be like calling you and Bulma friends."

Krillin hefted his daughter, who was now solely focused on a lollipop grasped in her tiny clutches. A huge grin spread across his face as he looked up at his godson.

"I suppose not. Just one of the benefits of being a godfather I suppose huh? I get to be in on the little roller-coaster that is your life."

Gohan let his playful side take over, and he sneered down at the short fighter. He held up his hand to just above the top of his head and peered down at him with a chuckle.

"Well not a roller coaster. I wouldn't have let you on board, there's a height limit old man."

The fighter hesitated, blinking a couple times while the joke sank in. When it did he growled and narrowed his eyes up at the tall teen.

"Hey! Just because you've become a six foot something giant doesn't mean you get to make fun of my height!"

Gohan laughed, grasping his godfather's shoulder again for support. Krillin's scowl slowly transformed into a smile, starting at the corners of his lips until finally he was laughing along with the tall demi. When they finally recovered, they found they had made it to the end of the street already. They turned and decided to wait for the rest of their entourage to catch up. Marron continued to work at her lollipop, a half-lidded and tired expression on her face as she leaned into her father's shoulder.

"I think it's time to get these kids off to bed. I bet you that by the time we get back, the demon trio's collective sugar high will have worn off."

Gohan smiled at that, knowing full well how quickly a half-saiyan's body could burn through that much sugar.

"So uhh… Gohan you got any plans for either of those two lovely ladies you've become acquainted with?"

Gohan furrowed his brow and stared seriously at his godfather, who was wearing a suggestive smile and quirking his eyebrows at him. Immediately his thoughts were directed towards a certain raven haired crime fighter what was steadily making her way towards them. He liked her; he knew it full well that he wanted her. Yet he feared what could happen if he were to allow himself to give in to his urges. He was worried about how she would react to learning about the rest of him. Above that though he worried for her safety. What if some new evil were to come to his home, and what if she became a target. He could never forgive himself if anything were to happen to her. For a moment, he considered bringing the dilemma to his godfather's attention, but he couldn't bring himself to ask for advice.

"No, no plans."

"Ahh such a shame, and here I thought you had finally found you a lady friend."

A heavy silence hung in the air until the rest of the group caught up to them and Krillin decapsulized the car that Bulma had given them for the evening. They gathered up the squabbling children and secured them within the vehicle, and true to Gohan's prediction, the four youngsters were out cold within minutes of being in the car.

Gohan sat between his little siblings, allowing them to lean into him as they slept with his large arms draped around them. He'd pulled off the mask of his costume and a soft smile graced his features as he gazed down upon the sleeping terrors.

"Hey Krillin, where is 18? I sorta expected her to come along with us."

Gohan glanced over to the bubbly blonde, who's voice could barely contain her disappointment at not getting to talk the beautiful blondes ears off about fashion or some other girly thing. He admitted, it was odd that the android had not made an appearance.

"Well to be honest, I don't know what her and the girls are doing. All I know is that Bulma, Chi Chi and 18 all gathered together before we left. I've never been one to question a girl's night out though. They don't get to have those very often. I think they even managed to get Launch in on it, which hasn't happened since before Gohan was born."

Gohan smirked, getting a very good idea what a few aging and very busy mothers would be doing on a Halloween night without the company of their men.

_Hopefully they don't over-do it tonight, or tomorrow they're going to be _very _difficult to deal with. _

"Ah okay. Well alright!"

The blonde beamed at the short fighter, earning a nervous smile from him at her sudden change in attitude before she turned her attention to her best friend. Videl had removed the face-mask she was wearing and was leaning back into her seat with a tired expression.

"Videl, what do you think your pops is going to say at that press conference tomorrow? You don't think he's going to come clean about the whole Cell thing do you?"

Gohan immediately focused on the two girls. Videl scowled at the mention of her father's sudden press conference that he had called for immediately after arriving back at home the previous day. Gohan had a sneaking suspicion that Hercule was going to claim something ridiculous about his absence since the fighting at the docks or at the worst, reveal the identity of Bardock. But he had decided he should wait and watch. After all, he had already made the mistake of pre judging before.

"I doubt it Erasa, my dad's gotten way too comfortable with his current wealth arrangement. I admit I'm worried he might let something slip about Bardock or something of that nature, but to be honest I don't know what he has planned. He just told me that it was something important."

_Well at least she's as worried about it as I am. That man really is a wild card for us; a simple statement from him could sway the entire population of this world._

"Maybe it's got something to do with the tournament?"

"I don't know Erasa. Speaking of the tournament though… Gohan, what are you going to do about the helmet? You know that head protection is prohibited in the ring."

Gohan locked eyes with her for a moment before he let a smirk appear on his lips and he pulled on the mask that was now pulled down below his chin.

"I'll just have to wear a hood and mask. I'm not too worried about letting people see my eyes since there are so few who know me."

Videl nodded in acknowledgement. Erasa quirked an eyebrow at him and glanced between the two fighters.

"You're going to take it easy on the competition right? You know that Videl can't beat you one on one. And didn't you say that hunk Vegeta was going to compete too?"

In the front seat, Krillin snorted and fought to contain his laughter at the blonde calling Vegeta a hunk. Gohan smirked and stared directly at his student with a devious glint in his eyes.

"Oh no, there will be no 'going easy' on miss short-stop here. Though I might let her have the victory if she can earn it."

"Yea and I don't know if my wife or brother in law is going to take it easy either. Shoot I might even enter this year, just to get back in the ring. I know I'm going to get owned if I have to fight you or Vegeta though."

Videl pouted and gazed at Gohan with those sparkling cerulean eyes and he almost decided to take back his statement. But her expression shifted and she smiled at him.

"Don't even think about it Gohan. I know I can't beat you, but I want to test myself. Besides, you already know my reason for wanting to fight in this tournament, and you wouldn't let little old me get thrown into the wilderness of the city would you?"

He rolled his eyes and shook his head.

"No, I think I'd force you to stay in your father's mansion until you can beat me in the ring."

Her face took on a horrified expression, extracting laughter from the other three teens in the car as they watched their playful banter.

"You wouldn't dare!"

***THE FOLLOWING MORNING – SON WARD LIVING ROOM***

"Well here we go guys. Videl's pops is gonna give his little speech soon."

"Let's hope the fool doesn't do anything he's going to regret later."

Everyone had gathered in the living room with the exception of the Son Matron, Bulma, and the children. The five teenagers sat about on assorted couches and chairs, mixed in with Krillin, Vegeta, and a very disgruntled looking android 18. The atmosphere in the room was laced with a nervous buzz as Hercule took the stage on screen before the Satan Mansion grounds. Gohan absently listened to the conversation, but had his attention focused on the man on screen, pondering what he would do. He glanced to his left and caught Videl's gaze in his own, quickly deciphering the worry that filled those cerulean orbs. She gave him a curt nod and returned her eyes to the screen, nervously wringing her hands.

_Wow she's really worried about this..._

He returned his gaze to the screen as the news caster picked up the silence.

_"And now the champ himself will make the announcement that we've been waiting for the last couple days. Let's go to him now."_

His voice faded quickly and a faint buzz could be picked up from the microphone mounted on the podium as Hercule took his place behind it. He cleared his throat and closed his eyes for a moment, gripping the edges of the podium. When he re-opened his eyes he had his glare set and an air of confidence about him.

_"People of the world, I have some news that may startle several of you. Even for me, this is hard to reveal."_

Gohan's eyes shot wide open and he felt a cold silence snap through the room. All attention was on the screen and the aged fighter, and he could feel Videl's ki spike dangerously.

_"Recently I have been in the company of my daughter and her friends."_

_Shit he's really going through with this! He's really about to tell them all who I am._

Anger started to well up in his stomach, and he felt a heavy hand on his shoulder. He didn't turn his head to look at who it was, he could feel Krillins ki fluctuating right behind him and knew that his own must have been building.

_"And I have come to a conclusion that I know many of you, including her will be disappointed by."_

He paused for affect and took a deep breath, looking dead into the camera.

_"Due to my daughter's involvement in the adult division this tournament, and my wish to allow the newest group of fighters to come forth, I have withdrawn from the tournament as a competitor. I have already spoken to the tournament director, and he has agreed to let me stay as the honored guest and fighter in an auxiliary match with the tournament champion, and to be the man to pass on the belt to the new champion."_

Silence. The entire group stared at the image of the man in disbelief, and Gohan could practically feel the shock of the planet as their savior backed out of a fight.

_He's quitting? Okay that was definitely not where i thought he was going to go with this. What could be his reason for this. I mean obviously he knows that several of the Z fighters are going to compete, making him incapable of winning. But just to hold up an appearance I thought he would at least fight us. Or bribe us to let him win. Dende knows he has enough money for it._

He stole a glance to Videl, who seemed to be in deep thought as he was, nibbling on her thumbnail with a hard glare at the ground. Then it hit him all at once, and the genius behind Hercules statement suddenly made sense.

_Due to his daughter's involvement and the newest group of fighters... He know's he cant beat us in a fair fight so he backs out of it. But he tells the world it's to make room for the new fighters, and so that he doesn't have to fight his daughter. That way he doesn't lose face when someone beats him, and it makes him appear an honorable and generous man who wants to give others a chance at his glory. It makes it look like he's giving it out to those who are lesser than him. Hercule, you clever dog, you've managed to find a way to stay in the seat of honor without having to fight._

His thoughts were interrupted by a harsh bark of laughter emanating from the prince of saiyans in the back of the room.

"Oh look, the fool got scared and dropped the gloves. Well done brat, I think you knocked him off his high horse!"

The tension in the room lifted and the group buzzed excitedly with each other about the tournament. Gohan held his tongue and looked towards the champs daughter. Again their eyes locked and the serious expression on both their faces spoke all the words that they needed. Both of them knew the motive behind the old fighters words, and neither of them knew what to do about it.

***MONDAY AFTER HALLOWEEN - OSH***

Videl groaned and massaged her temples as she sat down next to her best friend in their first period class. She couldn't believe the amount of gossip being thrown at her this morning. Somehow, someone had gotten word that she had stayed with Gohan and Lime over the week long break and the rumors had started flowing. She had even been intercepted by Angela, a girl who had approached Gohan shortly after his arrival at the school, asking how he was in the sack. Thinking back on it, her yelling her denial of anything happening loudly with a furious blush probably didn't help her situation, but she didn't know what to think at the time.

_Well nothing like_ that _happened anyways... I mean I did expose his alter ego and learn how to find my ki thanks to him, but nothing as fun as _that. _Why__ can't people just leave it alone? It's painfully obvious he isn't interested in me as anything other than a friend. I mean Lime says he likes me but he never shows it, so what the hell am I supposed to do? _

She chanced a look at her crush and noticed he must have been hearing the rumors as well, evident in his focused glare and the slight twitch in his eye. She couldn't help but wonder if his irritation was due to the accusations of his affection being falsely given, or if perhaps they were true. She hoped that everyone was right and he did feel something for her and just hadn't acted on it.

'Come on just ask him! What could possibly happen?'

_Rejection, denial, pain. What if it creates a rift between us?_

'Would it be worse than this game you two are playing now?'

_Oh I don't know. At least now we can be together and talk normally._

'How long can you keep that up though?'

_This is the first time I've felt this way about a guy, so I don't know._

Her inner war was interrupted by the opening and closing of the classroom door and the arrival of their teacher. She sighed and pulled her notebook from her bag and prepared herself to take notes, ignoring Erasa's babble as she talked Gohan's ear off about all the things that had happened with the students of Orange Star High over the week of Halloween.

***ONE WEEK BEFORE THE TOURNAMENT - SOMEWHERE OUTSIDE THE CITY***

"Okay Videl, I think that's enough meditation. You can release it now."

Videl gently exhaled and opened her eyes. She took a moment to gaze happily at the little blue ball of energy hovering in front of her between her hands. It had been a long three weeks since the day she had left Capsule Corp, and the sporadic lessons with Gohan didn't happen often enough for her liking. He had given her a workout regiment that completely destroyed her body on a daily basis which was only made worse when he had given her the weighted shirt, shoes, and wristbands that she was currently wearing. The daily ritual of performing her katas as well as the hand of the demon became second-nature to her, and her daily meditation when she woke and prepared for bed showed promise. She was able to find her ki at any given moment of the day, though bringing it out still took a high level of concentration on her part. She had even played with the ball of energy on more than one occasion, trying to figure out how to throw it. The result was much more drastic than she had expected.

**~~~Flashback~~~**

Videl concentrated, sitting cross-legged on the floor of the deserted dojo. Gohan had left over an hour before and she was still holding the ball of ki between her hands. The day before, she had been out on call for the police and yet again seen Gohan throw a golden ball of light at a particularly heavily armed suspect. Her curiosity got the better of her and she cracked her eyes to peek around the gym. She knew there was nobody there, but her mentor had a tendency to show up when she least expected it.

_He makes that look so easy, so maybe... _

She considered the ball of ki in between her palms and experimentally pushed her hands forward. The ball of ki shot forward with them but dissipated as soon as it slipped from between her hands. She felt the flow of energy sever and her hands suddenly felt cold. Furrowing her brow, she replayed the image of him throwing a ki ball in her mind and thought about how it should look. She stood and stared at her hand curiously, holding it out palm up directly in front of her. She quickly searched for the hum of her ki and tapped into it, tracing it through her arm and into her hand, where another ball of ki formed, slightly smaller than the first. She concentrated on keeping the flow of energy there, and glanced around for something sturdy.

_Hmm well... This thing couldn't be more powerful than my kicks, so maybe the sandbag?_

She found the object, swinging slightly from its mount on the ceiling and settled herself into a front stance with her arm held back, wound up to throw like a baseball.

_Here we go..._

She took a deep breath and threw her arm forward as if to release the ball of ki. As soon as her arm reached it's forward most point she extended her fingers as if to release the ball, and immediately felt the energy disperse from the ball into nothingness. Staring at her hand, she thought about the event, curious at how the energy had felt when she attempted to literally throw it.

_Maybe it's not so much... throwing... After all it's not strength based to find it, so why would you have to rely on strength to throw it?_

She quirked an eyebrow and glared at her hand. Again she summoned the ki from her core and formed it in her hand. She took her stance and raised her hand as if to throw it again before she caught herself and dropped it to her waist.

_Let's try to just... push it. Maybe that'll work better?_

She crouched in her stance and growled, concentrating on the energy flow into her hand. She stepped forward and rotated her hips into the motion, thrusting the hand with the ball of ki forward. She kept the line of energy open and felt the rush as it channeled through her palm and into the ball. To her surprise the ball shot forward on a thin beam of white-blue light that connected with the sandbag with a loud crack like a gunshot. She was so startled by the success of her attempt that she unintentionally cut the energy and collapsed backwards on her butt, staring at the sandbag in utter disbelief as sand poured from the foot-wide rent in the side.

_Holy shit! Gohan wasn't kidding when he said this stuff is powerful._

**~~~End Flashback~~~**

That had been the previous week, and just as she predicted, Gohan knew about it. He hadn't been upset with her, much to the crime fighter's relief. He had however explained the dangers of ki blasts, besides the obvious destructive power of such an attack. He had explained the dangers of expending too much energy at once, which could possibly result in the destruction of the person doing the attack.

She allowed a small smile to dance on her lips as she gazed upon the ball of ki in her hands. She severed the flow of energy and watched the ball dissipate into nothing before looking up expectantly at her instructor. He seemed to be deep in thought, his eyes considering her as she sat patiently waiting for him. He made up his mind and sighed, running a hand through his hair in that same careless manner that she found so sexy.

"I can't believe I'm saying this already, but I think you're ready to try flight. You've gotten good enough at finding your ki that I think I can teach you some rudimentary control of it. You've caught on almost as fast as I did when I was a child, and my mentor called me a natural. I'm impressed."

She beamed at his praise, her curiosity at his unnamed mentor being swept aside by the excitement that bubbled up in her chest. She stood quickly, brushing the grass from her spandex shorts.

"Really?! Okay what do I do?"

She couldn't help the excitement leaking into her voice, and he smirked at her.

"That excited huh? Well then, let's begin. We're going to try just getting you off the ground first, then we can work on movement. First, go ahead and find a relaxed stance and find your ki again."

She did so, closing her eyes and quickly locating that hum. She wrapped her thoughts around it, and nodded her head at him with her eyes still closed.

"Good, now essentially what you're going to do is the same as creating a ki blast, but instead of projecting the energy from yourself, you're going to force it under you in a cushion. Think of your jet-copter."

_Well that's not the greatest example, but I think I got it. _

She took hold of the energy, drawing it out as she had before, but instead of pushing it through her hands, she focused it downward. Or atleast, that's what she wanted to happen. The actual result was her ki refusing to budge. She furrowed her brow in concentration.

_Okay this is different. What am I missing here?_

She stiffened when she felt a looming presence directly in front of her. A pair of large hands gently grabbed onto her arms at the shoulder. She flinched at the contact and snapped her eyes open to stare up into the calm black orbs of Gohan's eyes. He gave her a reassuring smile and the tension left her suddenly, leaving her knees feeling weaker than she remembered.

"Here, I'll guide you again."

_Focus! He's helping you to fly, not making a move on you! Come on girl, you can do this._

She nodded and closed her eyes again, willing herself to rid her mind of him; ignoring the fact that he was touching her and was less than a foot away from her. She inhaled deeply, and immediately found that same scent she had reveled in the first time he had helped her discover her ki; that same sweet woodland fragrance that shut out all of her fears and her worries. Her nerves immediately left her and she grasped onto her ki as she relaxed her mind, drinking in the scent.

A foreign energy rushed into her. Again she found the urge to try and repel it and subconsciously tensed. The energy flowing into her halted, its warm presence warming her chest as it waited.

_No, not foreign... That's Gohan. The same Gohan you've become so infatuated with. Relax and let him help._

She exhaled and relaxed her body, allowing him to continue. His energy gently pulled hers out, just as it had before, and in her mind's eye she could see the two of them meshing together and being pushed down. She felt a slight wind pick up around them, pushing up under her baggy t-shirt and making her pigtails fly back over her shoulders.

She felt a new kind of pressure on her feet as the cushion he had described formed below her. She focused harder than she had ever done before, keeping the channel of energy open as it flowed from her. It was strange to her, like she was standing on sand. It wasn't solid, but she knew that her feet were no longer on the earth.

_Whoa, this is… Amazing!_

She cracked her eyes and beamed when she discovered that she was several feet off the ground. She felt buoyant, and energy pumped through her limbs as the realization that she was actually doing it hit her. She looked around for her mentor and was startled to find him still on the ground below, watching her closely with a small smile on his face. That was when she realized that after that initial push, his energy had withdrawn. She had been, and still was, controlling it on her own.

The realization startled her to the point that she wobbled in the air, fighting to maintain the downward push. Her focus dissipated quickly as her heart rate climbed and she began to fall.

_Shit this is going to hurt!_

She squeezed her eyes shut and extended her hands to try and halt her descent, but to no avail. Her descent halted abruptly and she grabbed onto the nearest thing she could. She felt a pair of hands grasp her around the waist and she fell against a warm presence.

_Gohan._

The demi-saiyan gently lowered her the rest of the way to the ground, but held onto her as she tried to regain control of her wobbly knees. She fought to reduce the pounding of her heart, taking deep breaths and clutching onto his gi shirt over his muscular arms.

_That smell... It's him! Kami he's… Perfect…_

She removed her face from its comfortable resting place on his chest and gently pulled back to look up at him. His eyes were sharp. Focused. His face held a very slight frown, but his eyes were almost begging of her. She felt her stomach flip as she took in his dark eyes, trying to decipher what was going on in his head. They looked at each other for what seemed like forever, onyx locked in an endless battle with cerulean. She felt her heart pounding in her ears and her stomach seemed to have taken on a life of its own, dancing around like it was now. She barely noticed his hands were still on her waist, allowing their warmth to seep into her through her shirt.

In the blink of an eye, her resolve snapped. Her heart jumped in her chest and her breath caught as she made a brash decision against her better judgment. She reached up to grab him around the back of his head and pulled him down forcefully. Pushing herself up on the tips of her toes, she found his lips with hers, locking them together firmly. At first, he seemed to freeze, and for a split second a jolt of fear shot through her and she wondered if she had gone too far.

_The moment of truth._

He hesitated, hands still planted on her hips and his eyes wide as she kissed him. But he relented, and his eyes relaxed slowly and he sank into the kiss further. His hands found their way to the small of her back, holding her up against him and he gently pushed back against the kiss.

_Yes! YES!_

Joy shot through her of a kind she hadn't felt before. Never before had she felt a level of bliss that could compare to the emotional bubble threatening to explode from her chest right now. She had finally made the move, and he wasn't rejecting her. She could have screamed it out to the world if she weren't occupied at the moment. She tightened their embrace, locking her arms around his neck and deepening the kiss. There was a tug on her stomach, warmth spreading through her body faster than she could control it, and suddenly she lost herself in it.

Passion was something she was most certainly familiar with, having fought for what she believed was right for the last few years, but it paled in comparison to what she felt right now. The urge to make herself one with the tall teen was overwhelming. She pressed herself against his hard body, assisted by his large hands. His scent flooded her senses and her breathing came in heavy, choppy breaths. She pushed her tongue against his lips begging for entrance, and he quickly gave it, thereby initiating the battle of the tongues as they explored each other. His hands found their way under her shirt, and she found herself letting loose a moan at the feel of his rough skin against hers around her waistline. A deep rumble emanated from his chest that she could only describe as a purr. The sound only served to make her want him more, and her hands clawed at his gi top, willing it to magically disappear.

But as suddenly as it began, it stopped. He pulled back from the embrace, gently holding her body away from him and panting, still leaning in with his forehead close to hers. Her eyes snapped open to take in his pained expression with his eyes shut tight, and immediately her heart jumped into throat.

_Oh Kami… I didn't mean to go that far… I just… Shit!_

She fought to control her breathing and watched his expression, still clutching onto his gi top. He shook his head, and she could see him fighting with himself in his mind as he chewed on the inside of his cheeks. She reached up and grabbed the back of his head, running her hands through his soft black hair and holding onto him for dear life. Panic filled her as she felt his intention to run, like it was being projected from him in waves.

"Don't go! Please don't go. I'm sorry, I don't know what came over me."

'Yes you do girl! You finally manned up and made a move.'

_Yea and now he's panicking! That was way too fast!_

'Maybe you're just that bad of a kisser.'

_Worry about that later!_

His hands left her waist, leaving the skin chilled against the cool autumn air where they had been seconds before. He gently reached up and grasped her wrists, removing her hands from his head. The panic in her mind diminished quickly, replaced suddenly by a fear that she couldn't understand. He gently held her wrists, refusing to open his eyes and look at her.

"I do. Please understand I can't… I don't know how… Kami I'm sorry."

Dread filled her, overpowering the fear that had filled her heart only seconds before, and she could feel her eyes beginning to sting in the suddenly cold air. She watched him as he backed away from her, his expression that of a tormented man.

_I don't understand! He kissed me back, and it was amazing! What are you so afraid of Gohan? What could be so bad that you have to run from this?_

His eyebrows furrowed as soon as the thought darted across her mind and his eyes shot open wide, revealing his horrified eyes. His eyes searched her face for a couple seconds, fear etched across his features. Suddenly his brow furrowed and his jaw set, and he glared at the ground.

"Gohan what's wrong? Is it me?"

He didn't respond for a second, when he did his gaze locked with hers again she could read the fear deep in his eyes, though his face was now under his control once again.

"In a way, yes... You're the only person I've felt this way about before."

Inwardly, she was cheering for joy. He did care for her; he had just admitted it to her openly.

"But… You don't know what kind of mess you would get into with me in the picture Videl."

Outrage. Plain and simple that was what she felt at his words. Her elation at his admittance of affection towards her were quickly overpowered by her anguish.

"Gohan that's crazy! I don't care about-"

"Videl you don't understand!"

She was shocked into silence at the harsh tone of his words. His eyes glinted dangerously as he glared at her, but it only lasted a moment. They lost their harsh visage and his face fell, again falling back into the lost and fearful gaze directed towards the ground.

"There is so much about me that you still don't know, and I don't know if you are prepared for it. I don't know if _I'm _prepared."

She ran the words over in his mind, trying to make sense of his train of thought. What could have possibly been so bad as to push her away now? He had lived a strange life she knew, and he was by no standard a normal man. But she had learned of how he had killed Cell, and the knowledge had only made her attachment to him stronger. What else could there be?

She steeled herself against her nerves and closed the distance between them and grabbing onto his shoulders firmly with both hands. She looked up, directly into his face.

"Try me Gohan. Help me to understand."

She kept her voice firm, willing herself to break through to him. She could practically hear the inner war he was having with himself. She wasn't sure what to do for him to convince him to open up. He seemed so lost, like a kid that had been taken from his home. His eyes were downcast and shadowed.

"Please?"

That one softly spoken word seemed to snap him out of his state, and he raised his gaze to meet hers. Those black orbs were so full of fear and sorrow that she had to fight the urge to pull him into a hug. The burning in her eyes returned and threw caution to the wind, bringing up a hand to his cheek. Her heart ached for him to talk to her. Slowly his features softened as he searched her eyes, and he seemed to deflate slightly. Fear came through her mind again seemingly out of nowhere, only to be replaced with a strong feeling of apprehension. He sighed and closed his eyes, and Videl held her breath in anticipation.

***SON RESIDENCE – THREE HOURS LATER***

Lime and Chi Chi watched the twins float about through the window to the kitchen. Lime couldn't help the content smile on her face as she washed the dishes from their lunch earlier. The two younger Son children were so full of energy and happiness as they chased each other around the yard through the air that it was impossible not to be happy. They had been at it since Gohan had left for his lesson with Videl.

She glanced towards the clock and had to do a double take when she realized what time it was. She sent her gaze skywards, searching for a sign of her adopted brother.

_He should have been back a long time ago! What could be taking him so long?_

Before she could even respond, an excited shout from one of the twins rang through the house.

"Big brother! You're back! Come on let's play, we've been waiting for you to get back!"

"Yea just wait til you see how fast I can fly now!"

She couldn't see him through the window, but knew he had landed close to the house by the twins' excited faces looking somewhere off to their right. Immediately she knew something was off when their faces dropped slightly to a disappointed pout. Then she heard his voice, quiet and strangely choked.

"Not today squirts, sorry. Maybe tomorrow okay?"

The front door to the Son home opened and closed, leaving the twins to stare sadly at the place their idol had just been. Lime and Chi Chi shared a worried look, and Lime hurriedly dried her hands off.

"I'll go. I've got a feeling that this isn't going to be pretty."

***GOHAN'S ROOM***

"Gohan?..."

Lime gently pushed the door open with a slight creak, peeking around the edge of the door. Gohan raised his gaze from where he sat on the edge of his bed, silently gesturing for her to come in. She noted how pale he was, like he had just seen a ghost. Immediately she put herself on guard.

_This doesn't look good. That's the look of a man who has just gone through a major life change. Last time I saw him with that look was in the week immediately after Broly._

She stepped into the room and locked the door behind her before striding across the room and settling herself on the bed next to him. She pulled her knees up to her chest, hugging her legs close and watching him out the corner of her eyes. For a while they just sat in silence. She thought she was going to have to initiate the conversation again when he broke the silence. His voice was thick with some emotion she couldn't identify.

"I think I may have very well made a huge mistake today Lime. Maybe the biggest in my life."

She narrowed her eyes at him, trying to understand. He had always claimed responsibility for things that were not his fault, yet he had maintained for almost as long as she had known him that his greatest downfall was the death of his father. Ice crawled through her veins at the thought, and her worry skyrocketed as she watched him. He turned his head to look at her, locking eyes with her. She tried to name the emotion she read in his eyes, but found no such luck.

"Videl… Well… She sorta…"

Lime blinked at him a few times, trying to register what he was saying. Immediately she thought of how the two had been eyeing each other during their time at Capsule Corp. A jolt ran up her spine and her eyes snapped wide.

"No! You didn't!"

He quirked an eyebrow at her, confusion evident in his eyes now.

"Wait, what do you think we did?"

She raised her eyebrows, deadpanning at him. He caught on to her silent implication and jerked back in surprise, a fierce blush on his face.

"No, no none of that Lime! Kami you've been hanging out with Erasa too much."

Now it was Lime's turn to blush. She felt her face grow hot and rolled her eyes, attempting to suppress her embarrassment. He was right, since they had been hanging out, her mind had truly gone to the gutters.

"Well what _did_ you do? I thought you were going to be back a couple hours ago! What happened?"

"I was teaching her how to fly. She'd been working so hard that I thought she was prepared for it."

Lime felt a pang of fear as a half-dozen scenarios ran through her head, each involving some horrible accident and Videl getting hurt. Evidently her fear was evident in her expression because he reached over and placed a hand on her shoulder in a reassuring manner, jerking her out of her self-induced panic.

"She's fine Lime. Back home actually."

"Well then what happened? Stop stalling and tell me already you jerk!"

At that his eyes seemed to grow distant and his expression became serious. Lime held her breath. His eyes refocused and he locked eyes with his sister.

"She kissed me. Full on kissed me..."

_Oh damn! Okay yea this is a big deal alright…_

She focused on him hard, gauging his emotions as best she could.

"And I gave in to it. I kissed her right back."

Shock wasn't a good enough word to cover what Lime felt. It couldn't be. Gohan had never allowed his emotions to take control of him like that unless he was in a particularly foul mood. Unless Videl was that bad of a kisser, had she really managed to make him give in to his positive side? She felt a tug on the corner of her lips as she watched him. His eyes clouded over again and she noticed that his eyes were happy. That emotion she couldn't place before, the one choking out his words was elation. Never in the last seven years had she seen him in this sort of state.

_Wait a second, this is terrific news! I knew those two would get it together eventually, but why the hell is this blockhead calling it a mistake?!_

She tried to mask the excitement in her voice, as well as the smile that was threatening to burst forth. She had to know the full story before she tackled him with the hug she was preparing for in her mind.

"Gohan, what was the mistake? "

His gaze returned to focus on her again, and his faint smile shifted slightly to a sad one. He considered her for a moment. He cleared his throat, obviously looking for a way to avoid the question as his eyes darted around somewhere off behind her head. She couldn't help it, she smiled and slapped him on the shoulder.

"Come on Gohan! Tell me! You getting a kiss from Videl hardly seems like a 'huge mistake'."

He took a deep breath and closed his eyes, steeling his nerves as he considered how to say what he was thinking.

"My mistake was… Well… I think I fell in love today."

**A/N: Pow! Heart was pounding in my chest as I was writing the last half of this one out until I finally got that last line written down. Let me know what you guys think =)**


	19. Reunions

***Takes deep breath*, okay this one was a nerve-wracking chapter for me to write. So many things that I could mis-say that I wound up writing it and rewriting it out of nervousness... I hope I did well!**

**Thanks for all the reviews for the last chapter, it made me very happy to see the reception it got! Any day I can get someone to call me an "Evil mother fucker" for pulling my audience to the edge of their seats in anticipation is a good day in my book =)**

**Anyways, on to the chapter! R&R and enjoy!**

**Chapter 19: Reunions**

Videl leaned back in her chair, exhausted from the events of the day. What a day it had been. It had started normally enough. She rose early, did her morning ritual of Gohan's workout, katas and meditation. Then there was the lesson, and that oh so amazing kiss. She subconsciously smiled at the memory of it, running a finger along her bottom lip as the feel of his lips against hers resurfaced in her mind. But then there was what followed it. Despite her gentle prodding, he hadn't immediately been forthcoming with what she wanted to know.

But when he did break down and let it out, he had told her a lot. She was still trying to make sense of it. The words jumbled in her head and her thoughts scattered about as she tried to line up all the dots.

_He's been fighting since he was four. Such a young age! Taken from his home, kidnapped by his first mentor. Okay that makes sense, but his first "mentor" was Piccolo? He learned from the Demon King himself and now Piccolo is a good guy? Wait… The green man that dad told me about! That's gotta be Piccolo, it sounds like the right description of him! Then there's this Raditz guy, his uncle? Vegeta, some guy named Nappa, Raditz, and Goku… Aliens? I still can't believe for one second that Vegeta or Goku are aliens; they look human! Though that explains the tail that Goku had at the twenty first and second tournaments… And Gohan is a hybrid. He's only half human._

She ran the thoughts over in her mind again and again, as if she were trying to disprove it by finding any evidence otherwise. He'd called them Saiyans, and the reason that he was so strong was due to his Saiyan side. There was no denying it to herself anymore; there were so many inhuman things he could do that it only made sense for him to not be human. At least not fully human anyways.

'You've fallen for an alien.'

_Half! Half-alien, and I don't know what it is I feel right now._

'Don't deny it to yourself girl, you know there's more than just "liking" there.'

_How could I be sure of that? I mean, he's an alien for Kami's sake. _

'Funny thing is he said he knew Kami personally. Apparently he's an alien too… Look, has he really changed anything since the day you and him made up?'

_Well… no._

'Exactly, he hasn't gone all little-grey-man on you. The only thing that has changed is now you know he's not entirely human.'

She mulled over her thoughts, still unsure of what she felt. She thought back to her actions immediately after he had told her that he was half alien. Those onyx eyes were so full of anxiety and fear that she could feel it radiating off of him. But there was so much for her to think about, and she didn't know what to do. She'd left him there, seated on the grass with only a few short words to him.

"_I have to go… Need to think."_

Shame flooded her as she realized what it probably had done to the young man for her to leave so suddenly like that. They had only been sitting there for a few minutes while the man collected his thoughts, but she knew how momentous it had to have been for him.

_I shouldn't have left him! Damn it girl that was stupid! He probably thinks I hate him now!_

'You don't hate him…'

She took a deep breath and closed her eyes, calming her mind just as he had taught her. He was so good at that; calming her. Just his scent was enough to relax her completely, though she hadn't realized it was him at first.

_No. I don't hate him. Far from it. Everything about him; his scent, the way he looks, even his stupid attitude. I can't help but want to be around him all the time._

'Does he know that? You ditched him there in that field, remember? Not the best way to show it.'

She opened her eyes to see her face staring back at her in the mirror across the room. Those cerulean eyes bore back into her with disgust and loathing.

"I have to at least make sure he's okay."

She rushed to her dresser where she had dropped her comm-watch and opened a call before she realized she didn't know how to contact him. She stared blankly at it for a second as it awaited her command. Thinking quickly, she came up with what she was sure would be the next best option and typed away on the mini-screen.

***GOHAN'S ROOM***

"She left then. I don't know what she thought, she just left. I can't say I blame her for wanting to get away like that. It's not every day you find out that someone you know isn't human."

He leaned back against the wall with a heavy sigh, still seated on his bed with Lime next to him cross-legged. The brunette was playing with her auburn hair and chewing her lower lip nervously. She'd listened to the demi's account of what had happened and her thoughts were a mixture of elation and fear. He'd finally kissed a girl, and on top of that he said that he'd fallen for her! She already knew he had it bad for the raven haired crime-fighter, but for him to say that he loves her?

_And then she ran from him._

"I sat there for a long time, thinking about it. That's why I got back so much later; I didn't know what to do after she left… Should I have followed her?"

Lime considered him for a moment, watching his eyes dart around worriedly as he focused on something in his mind.

"No Gohan, you did the right thing. She needs to think about it and come to terms with the fact that your half-saiyan. Speaking of, you didn't tell her that mating with a Saiyan is a one-way road did you?"

He shook his head, still lost in thought.

"No, I don't want to scare her away by making it seem like a trap."

Her cell phone started vibrating in her pocket while he was talking and she absent-mindedly pulled it out and looked at the caller ID. A shock jolted down her spine when she read the words scrolling across the glass screen.

_Videl?! Crap I'd better see what she wants._

"I gotta take this one Gohan, I'll be back."

He focused his eyes on her for a short moment and nodded his head before returning to his thoughts, his expression completely neutral. She hastily got up and got herself out of his room, headed downstairs towards the living room. She hit the accept button and held the phone to her ear.

"Hello?"

"_Lime? Thank Kami you picked up! It's me, Videl. Listen, I need some help."_

_ Whoa damn she's fired up!_

"Videl calm down and breathe! Tell me what's going on."

She already knew full well what had happened, but she considered that maybe Videl would want to keep what had happened between her and Gohan private. On the other end of the line, she could hear the crime fighter take a deep breath.

_"Sorry about that. Is… Uh is Gohan there? I need to talk to him. It's about… my training."_

_ So then she is trying to keep it secret for now… Oops… Better not let on that Gohan and I have already spoken about it… Hmm one way or another, I think that whatever she is going to say should be said in person. We do have school tomorrow…_

"Actually no I'm not with him right now. He came by earlier looking a little bit put out though. Mind telling me what happened?"

On the other end of the line she could hear a sharp intake of breath.

_"I… I made a mistake today, and I… Well if you see him, tell him I said I'm sorry."_

Excitement coursed through her veins as she figured out what the crime fighter was getting at. The regret in her words made it all too clear that she thought she shouldn't have ran. She couldn't get the smile off her face, but did her best to control her voice and sound neutral.

_Yes! She wants to make up with him for it!_

"Why don't you tell him yourself before school tomorrow? I think he can last the next twelve hours until then."

_"Are you sure? I mean it's kinda important."_

_ Duh it's important! But it's more important that he see your face when you say it! Have you never been in a relationship before? Oh… Wait, no neither of them have…_

"Yea Videl, I'm sure he'll be fine."

Another sigh from the other end, and then silence rang for a few seconds.

_"Alright Lime, thanks. I'll see you tomorrow okay?"_

"Take it easy Videl, and don't worry. Whatever it is, I think he'll definitely forgive you."

_"I hope so. See ya."_

The line went dead and Lime checked to make sure the call had ended, watching the flashing numbers on the screen for a second before hopping up and down excitedly. Finally, after all these years, he had found himself a girl who liked him as more than a friend! She almost laughed out loud at the irony of the situation.

_Who would have thought that the two of them would get together? Besides the fact that her father was the one who took the credit for his deed, they didn't exactly come across as a "good match" when they met. I mean, he did spend the first few weeks of knowing her being a total dick-head. Videl even said she started off hating him! Ha! Damned Saiyans just have to pick the ones who fight back huh?_

***THE FOLLOWING MORNING – OVER SATAN CITY***

_Well this isn't exactly what I had planned… Stupid criminals and their stupid needing to take over the city… Damn I hope Gohan is fine enough this morning to show up. From the sounds of it, these guys are no joke. Taking the capital hall and the Mayor hostage? I'm good, but I don't know if I can take them all on._

Videl growled, glaring at the large building below as she dove towards it in her jet-copter. As she pulled closer to it, she realized with a jolt that the perpetrators were out in the open.

_What in the world? Why haven't the police moved in?_

She settled the 'copter in the street outside the courtyard behind a line of police vehicles. She quickly dismounted and capsulized it before making her way to the line of police barricades where the chief was talking animatedly to someone over the radio.

"I understand. No she just got here actually. O-… Okay I got it. She's not going to like this. Understood. Out."

"What am I not going to like chief?"

Videl raised an eyebrow in silent question and planted her hands firmly on her hips. The aging man removed his hat and ran a hand through his white hair, looking at the girl with a nervous grimace.

"Their demands are for us to give you, Bardock, and your father to them."

"Or?"

"Or they kill the mayor and his staff. Their time limit is ten minutes."

"What?! Who the hell are these guys?"

The chief sighed and put his hat back on before turning towards the criminals with his arms crossed. Videl traced his gaze to one particularly large man who was sitting in a chair at the top of the steps next to the mayor.

"Members of the gangs that you three dealt with in the docks. Thanks to you three, they took a lot of casualties, and these are the combined remnants of the two gangs, including the leader of one called the Red Shark gang. That guy there, his name his Hans. We don't really know much about him besides the fact that he controlled the illegal arms trade in the city, and we have a suspicion that he's a very skilled fighter. There's evidence of his work all over the docks district, though it's only speculation really."

_Well at least this time they have a motive besides "Just because"… But still, ten minutes? Even if we were going to give into those demands, how could they expect us to comply with that?_

Videl sighed and gripped onto the barrier, hopping over it quickly and striding towards the criminals.

"Videl! Where are you going?! You can't seriously be considering giving yourself over to them?"

Videl glared at him over her shoulder, causing him to pale and recoil from the look.

"Of course not chief, I'm trying to stall them. If I have to fight, then I will. If I get captured…?"

_Well let's hope that Gohan gets here before anything like that happens._ If _he decides to show._

She strode confidently forward, and she could hear the scramble of officers behind her as they got into firing positions. She walked through the gates into the walled courtyard and immediately felt the muzzles of multiple weapons pointed in her direction. The large man at the top of the steps smirked and watched her from behind his clasped hands. She took mental notes of where the gangsters were all gathered and focused her attention on Hans. He stood, revealing his massive form as he unfolded from the chair and gestured down towards the mayor who was in a dazed state at gunpoint.

"Ahh Fraulein Satan… You come to give yourself over to ze Red Shark gang ja?"

She flinched slightly with disgust. His thickly accented voice was loaded with malice and she wanted to wipe the smear from his face. She came to a halt before the steps of the building, glaring up at the giant of a man with her arms crossed.

"Not exactly Hans… Let's talk"

He crossed his arms and grinned at her evilly, revealing a pair of gold teeth.

"Nein. I think not little Fraulein."

She glanced left and right, sensing their movement before she saw it. Two gangsters rushed her from their positions a few feet away from her.

_Fools._

She dropped into her stance, waiting for them to make their first moves. The on her right threw caution to the wind and lunged for her with his arms outstretched in an obvious attempt to tackle and restrain her. She sidestepped out of his reach, her movements easy and fluid. She waited for him to pass directly in front of her before hammering him with a quick punch to the temple. The man was unconscious before he hit the ground, skidding to a halt with his face on the pavement.

The second gangster approached a little more cautiously, arms up to protect his head as she settled back into her stance. He shuffled forward, throwing his arms forward in a typical boxing style. She skillfully redirected his punches, just as Gohan had shown her. He over-extended one punch and she took advantage of his unsteady state, flipping herself up and locking her legs around his head before using his own momentum to fling him to the ground and land on her own two feet. The criminal hit the ground head-first with a loud crack that made the police behind her wince.

_Damn, Gohan's training has really made a difference. That was too easy._

"Why that little bitch!"

She turned her attention to the source of the exclamation; a gangster standing off to the side of the Mayor and Hans. He racked the action of his assault rifle and leveled the weapon to point directly at her.

Gohan saw the weapon point at her from his vantage-point above and behind the police formation and growled. He quickly made sure his helmet was still in place and shot forward, his aura exploding around him. He halted abruptly in front of the gangster, back towards the raven haired crime fighter, startling the gun-wielding criminal. He grabbed the barrel of the rifle and with a loud screeching sound of warping metal, bent it back on its owner so that he was looking directly into the muzzle. The gangster cringed and looked between the bore of the rifle and the mirrored visor of the super-hero's helmet.

"I _dare_ you to try and shoot her again. Do you like the current arrangement of your face?"

He growled out the words, pleased with the chill that suddenly settled on the gathered gangsters who stared at him in utter fear.

"Herr Bardock, how nice of you to join us! Do not worry; I will be with you in just a moment."

"Oh, I sincerely doubt that. Videl, if you don't mind?"

He glanced down at the fighter, who was glaring up at the tall gangster with pure loathing. He noted that she was still wearing the weighted clothing and shoes, and had still managed to move faster than before her training began. She crossed her arms and raised her chin with a smirk on her face.

"Let's go big boy, just you and me. I offered you a chance to talk, now you're finished."

"Why you little…!"

_Arrogant ass has no clue what he's getting himself into. Oh well, might as well get rid of these fools while she's doing that._

He turned away from the fight that was about to happen as the tall gangster bolted down the stairs, seething in rage. There were still half a dozen gangsters at the top of the steps, and all of them were armed except the one who was still holding the damaged rifle in shock. He took mental notes of each, immediately concluding that the removing the Mayor was his primary objective.

"Mr. Mayor, do me a favor and shut your eyes?"

The gathered men all looked quizzically between Bardock and the Mayor, who stared at him blankly for a second before slamming his eyes shut. Gohan raised his hands to the sides of his face, fingers extended in the same technique that he had learned from Tien so many years ago.

"SOLAR FLARE!"

The light from the sun shot around him, channeled by his energy and projecting into the eyes of the stunned criminals in a wide beam of white light. The six criminals recoiled from the light, clutching their eyes and screaming in agony. The Mayor cringed and shut his eyes tighter against the light assaulting him, but remained seated on the ground with his arms bound. Gohan burst forth in the confusion of the moment and quickly dispatched the six criminals with light strikes to the side of their necks and cutting off the circulation to their brains. One by one they all collapsed in heaps, one of them rolling down the marble steps with a sickening thud at each landing.

Gohan watched the man roll down the steps with a morbid fascination before he realized he still had work to do. He calmly strode over to the mayor, who was now squirming against his bonds with his eyes still clenched.

"Are you injured?"

The old man flinched at the sound of his voice and recoiled, looking up at him over his shoulder with wide eyes.

"B-Bardock! No, I'm fine. I'm glad you showed up when you did! If you hadn't I would have been… Oh god I'd be-"

"Sir, calm yourself. Are there any others?

He snapped the cheap rope the gangsters had bound him with and the old man rubbed his wrists to get the blood flowing again.

"No, I was the only one in my office besides my Secretary. She got out already though, I saw her with the police. The security detail is gone though; I don't know what they did with them!"

Gohan nodded his acknowledgement and glanced down to where the raven haired crime fighter was. He did a double take and cursed himself for being so careless as to not watch the fight. Somehow the gangster had managed to overpower the young woman and was trying to subdue her with a rear choke. His face was battered and bruised, with blood leaking out the corner of his mouth and his nose, but he wore an infuriated snarl that betrayed no hint of pain. He felt out the energies of the two fighters and immediately realized that the tall foreigner had an immense amount of ki at his disposal for a human, nearly as large as Videls.

Fear and anger boiled in him as he watched her struggle against the arm holding her around the neck. She kicked back and did her best to bash him with her elbows, but to no avail. In a matter of seconds, her strikes lost all of their power and her ki plummeted. The circulation to her brain was choked off by his large muscles, and she fell unconscious before Gohan could intervene.

"Son of a bitch!"

He shot forward, leaving the stairs shattered in a small crater. In that moment the only thing that mattered to him was the girl caught in the grasp of that monster. He landed next to the man, driving his foot into the side of his leg, and felt the femur break. Immediately, the gangster released his hold on the girl and clutched his leg with an agonizing scream. Gohan caught the falling girl and quickly inspected her for permanent damage while the man collapsed backwards, writhing in pain.

As soon as the circulation to her brain restarted, her ki spiked and she began to stir. Gohan sighed in relief and gently laid her down on the grass of the courtyard. Another wail from the huge man caught his attention and rage snapped through his mind, mixing with the concern he felt for the raven haired girl and creating a potent blend that made his blood boil. His mind told him that the man had had enough, but his instincts drove him into a blood-lust as he turned his gaze to the criminal. He strode over to him with a grim determination, his white aura bursting around him as he walked.

"N-No stay away from me!"

He ignored the panicked cries of the gangster as he tried to back away from the enraged Demi-Saiyan.

"No! Stop I'- Gahk!"

Gohan gripped him around the throat, cutting off any words that were about to leave his mouth as well as any chance of him breathing. The gangster's hands shot to his wrist, grabbing on in a vain attempt to remove the offending appendage. Gohan swung him up into the air before him; flailing the man's broken leg around as he held him up above his own head. He was a solid six inches taller than Gohan, but it mattered not to the young Demi. The man's eyes bulged in pain and fear, and Gohan's rage flared. He transformed while still disguised, a golden aura exploding around him as his custom suit contained the golden hair and bulging muscles.

"You _dare _to hurt her? Now you have to deal with me."

He was seeing red now, his blood-lust coursing through his veins like a shot of some drug. He raised his free hand, palm up between the two of them and formed a ki ball in it. The man struggled against the muscular vice that was Gohan's hand, shaking his head and struggling to get a breath. The energy crackled and sparked dangerously, humming like a live wire. Gohan growled deep in the back of his throat, his hand tightening to the point he could feel the spinal column and trachea beginning to crack and collapse.

"G-Gohan…?"

The soft voice cut through his rage like a knife through hot butter. His head snapped slightly to the side and he froze, listening to the faint voice that echoed through his brain. His clouded senses didn't register the tiny set of hands that grasped him around the arm. The tiny voice came again, barely noticeable above the hum of energy in his hand and the pounding of his blood in his ears.

"G-Gohan stop. Don't do it. He's already finished, just let him go."

He snapped his eyes back to the criminal held up before him, not realizing that his hands had already dropped to his sides limply in his now unconscious state. His eyes stared off into nothingness and Gohan could feel his ki diminishing quickly as the life was literally choked out of him. His rage slowly subsided, the bloody haze lifting from his sight and mind.

"It was my fault. You don't need to do this. Not for me."

This time her voice came in clear and firm and he looked down at the hands grasping his arm. The heat from her hands flowed into his tense muscles and he subconsciously relaxed at the contact, releasing the flow of energy into the ball of ki resting in his palm. He dropped his arm and turned his head to look at her out the corner of his visor. She was somehow looking directly at his eyes with a worried frown, though he knew she couldn't actually see through his mask. His rage left him completely as he gazed into her calming blue orbs and his golden aura died out into nothing as he returned to normal. He returned his glare to the criminal still held in the air in front of him and unceremoniously dropped him to the ground where he crumpled in a heap, his head lolling to the side.

Immediately, paramedics and police flooded the scene and began their work. He took a deep breath and turned his head fully to look right at the small woman, who gave him a weak smile before her eyes clouded over and she winced, reaching up to place a hand at the side of her head as a wave of dizziness took her. He quickly grabbed on, steadying her as the dizzy spell took hold, steering her towards the police barricade.

"I'm fine, just let me walk it off."

He hesitated, releasing her shoulders and watching her closely. She cleared her throat and held her head high in an attempt to appear as functional as ever, but only managed to stumble backwards into Gohan's arms when she tried to step forward. He rolled his eyes at her stubbornness and quickly picked her up bridal style with a small "eep".

"You were saying?"

She grumbled but didn't fight him, instead wrapping an arm around his thick neck and allowing him to carry her to the back of an ambulance where a medic quickly checked her over. Gohan stood back and crossed his arms, watching the woman work. He pondered her silently, an awkward silence settling between the two of them.

"How did he get a hold of you?"

She furrowed her brow and shook her head with a scowl.

"My own damn fault… I had him beat, I was too fast for him to hit. But he grabbed onto one of my pigtails and pulled me off balance. It only took that split second. I admit he was good, but I shouldn't have let him get a hold of me like that."

She paused as the medic checked her eyes for any damage, flashing them with a light and then testing her reactions.

"Alright Ms. Satan, I think you should be fine. Just take it easy today, stay hydrated and take some pain meds if you need to. I have to go to the _other_… patients…"

The medic scowled and quickly packed up her medbag, shooting a heated glare at the tall demi-saiyan before dashing off to assist some of her co-workers in stabilizing the gang-leader in his critical condition. Gohan growled and averted his eyes.

_Should have saved you the trouble and disposed of him…_

"Thank you by the way… For not killing him? You don't need any more criminals' blood on your hands than you've already got. He'll suffer more in prison this way."

He considered her for a moment, noting how she refused to meet his gaze. He grunted in response, and the silence settled over them again. Neither knew what to say now, and each was suddenly made aware of how alone they were.

_I wonder if she's still afraid of me for being a Saiyan. She didn't take it as well as I had hoped yesterday. If she doesn't want to be around me anymore I would understand…_

Dread filled him at the very thought of it and he felt a lump form in his throat. He tried to clear it a couple times and took a deep breath, preparing himself to say what was plaguing his mind for the last several hours. But she cut him off abruptly, catching him off guard.

"I'm sorry about what happened yesterday. I know what it took for you to say what you did, and really it does mean the world to me that you chose not to hide it. It doesn't change who you are… me knowing… I shouldn't have run from you like that. I just…"

He watched her closely as she trailed off, inspecting the pattern of rocks in the concrete between her feet hanging out the back of the ambulance. It took a few moments for the words to fully sink in and register, but when they did his stomach did a backflip and the heavy weight on his chest lifted, leaving him feeling like a million Zeni. He smiled behind his mask and extended a hand towards her.

"Don't be sorry, it was a lot for you to hear in one day. Just don't think that it means you don't have to make up for that lesson you cut short yesterday."

That pulled her from her withdrawn state quickly and she beamed up at him. She took his offered hand and stood slowly, rolling her head to stretch her sore neck and gently shaking the dizziness from her mind.

"Fine, but I can only make up for it on one condition."

She crossed her arms and smirked up at him. He tilted his head slightly to the side, silently questioning her through the tinted lens of his helmet. She glanced around to see if anyone was watching before firmly pulling him down to her level and speaking to him in a low tone.

"Get me to school so you can get rid of that ridiculous disguise. Your helmet is in the way."

With that she planted a kiss on the cold surface of the plastic over where his cheek would be. Gohan blushed beneath his disguise, thankful that nobody could see his expression.

***OSH – TWENTY MINUTES LATER***

Erasa looked up excitedly at the sound of the knock on the door. The English teacher paused in her book with an irritated grimace, glaring at the door out the corner of her eyes. She huffed and placed her book on the desk and marched over to the door. Erasa glanced at the two chairs next to her, both vacant this morning.

_Off fighting crime together… Or at least Gohan is. That's what Lime said._

The brunette had arrived seconds before the bell, short on breath. She quickly told the two blondes that Gohan had run off that morning after dropping her at a nearby bus stop. They were nearly half-way through this lesson and there was still no sign of the two black haired fighters.

"Oh, it's just you two. Do I dare ask why you are so tardy?"

Erasa had to stifle a giggle at the look on Gohan's face as he entered the room. Surely Mr. Confidence wasn't flustered and unsure of what to do? Videl on the other hand appeared to be radiating happiness. She stared at the pair of them, marveling at the differences in their behavior to their normal demeanors.

_Kami he's even got a blush! In broad daylight! At school!_

"Sorry about that ma'am, I got stranded out in town and Gohan here helped me out with a ride."

The teacher rolled her eyes and gestured for them to take their seats. Erasa watched them closely, extremely interested in the unusual spring that Videl had in her step as she bound up the stairs to her usual seat. The blonde threw her a silent question with her quizzical glare as the raven haired girl settled herself into her seat. She barely caught the glance that the girl threw towards the tall teen taking his seat on Erasa's other side before she occupied herself with taking her notepad out of her bag with an unusual amount of interest. She glanced towards her other side and noticed that Gohan was behaving strange as well, not even choosing to remove his things from his bag. Instead he just clasped his hands with his elbows propped on the desk and rested his chin on his thumbs to stare off into nothing over his intertwined fingers.

_Okay…? This is weird… What happened…The two of them are acting so weird and they're not looking at each other. And Videl is practically glowing right now… Glowing… Glow… Afterglow? Oh. My. Kami! They didn't!_

Erasa felt her eyes open wide as the thought occurred to her and she leaned in close to her best friend, whispering quietly but allowing her excitement to bleed into her words. She noticed Sharpener and Lime turn their gazes towards her as she spoke, but she didn't care. Anticipation and excitement threatened to bubble over until she got a confirmation one way or another.

"Videl, spill it! You and Gohan…? Did you…? Eh?"

The reaction she got was more than enough confirmation in her mind and the bubble threatened to pop in an explosion of loud squeals and bouncing. The crime fighter turned a brilliant shade of red and turned her wide eyes to look at a very interesting poster on the wall above the chalk board. Lime snorted and covered her mouth as she watched the girl. Erasa switched her excited stare from Gohan to Videl and back again at a rate that would have made anyone besides her dizzy, and her knees were bouncing beneath her desk.

"Oh-my-gosh-oh-my-gosh-oh-my-gosh-oh-my-gosh-oh-my-gosh! Tell. Me. Everything! How was it? Is he uh… Ya knoooow?"

Gohan groaned exasperatedly and buried his face in the sleeve of his shirt to hide the blush and Videl quickly turned her glare to the bubbly blonde. Lime snickered in the background and Sharpener gazed at Gohan with a quirked eyebrow and a sly sneer.

"Shhh! Shut up Erasa, nothing like that happened! What do you take me for?"

"Deprived? Come on, just a little insight?"

"You know, I'm sitting right here Erasa. Can't the girl talk wait 'til later?"

The muffled pleas of the tall teen only served to fuel the fire, and Videl glared at the back of his head. Erasa quirked her eyebrows with a sly smile and a twinkle in her eye, directed right at her best friend.

"Well he's not denying it."

The demi raised his gaze to glare at her with narrowed eyes before groaning again and firmly planting his face back in the crook of his elbow.

"Women…"

Off to her right, Erasa heard Lime burst into laughter, earning her the unwanted attention of the instructor and every pair of eyes in the class. She clasped her hands over her mouth abruptly and cleared cleared her throat nervously before hiding her face behind her text book, leaving a ringing silence through the classroom. Erasa couldn't pay attention to the class to save her life now. She kept glancing at the two teens on either side of her, excitement radiating off of her.

_Be prepared to spill it, I will find out somehow or another. You can't hide it from me Videl!_

***UNKNOWN LOCATION***

Within the confines of a castle on a planet far from Earth, there were two men deep in conversation. The room was shrouded in darkness, the only light coming from a curtained window, showing the silhouettes of the men. One was extremely large, over double the size of the smaller in the room. But there was no question who was in charge here. The first rang out high and clear, containing a power that defied the understanding of common people of all planets.

"Do you think he is ready?"

The second man spoke, barely containing the strain in his deep gravelly voice. The tall man crossed his arms and glanced downwards, further shadowing his face.

"Does he have a choice?"

"No, not really. He has to be ready. The time is already upon us, and you know as well as I do what is at stake here."

"Yes, but master… Did we have to resort to the sort of underhanded trickery we used in order to accomplish this?"

"You know full well that even I cannot deny some things in this universe, a fact that I still regret to this day. If they believed for a second…"

"I understand master. But what if we made the wrong decision?"

"Then we shall soon find out."

Silence hung over the two men as their job laid before them settled down on their minds. The second voice posed another question, worry still evident in his voice.

"How are we to do this master? Surely they will figure out…"

"No, as long as we do not give away any details, our interference will not be noticed."

"Does he know?"

"No. There are only three, including you and I, who know of our hand in these events. Even North Kai does not understand the happenings around him. The fact that we gave him a body and allowed him to train didn't cause pause with our good Kai."

"Very well master but… What of the boy? We saw his potential that day as well."

"He is still an unknown. But enough of this speculation, it is almost time. Let us make our final preparations."

***TOURNAMENT ISLAND – ONE WEEK LATER***

Gohan sighed and pulled the hood of his disguise over his head, shading his eyes and making him nearly impossible to identify with the aid of the black and green mask pulled up over his mouth and nose. The ramp to the large air-car slowly dropped to the ground below on the hiss of hydraulic pumps. He stood to the side of the doorway and glanced at the gathered party. It was incredible really; the amount of people they had managed to collect for this little event.

The entire Z-gang made an appearance for the first time in a long time. Of course there was his immediate family, including Grandpa Ox and Lime. Then there was the Brief's Family, excluding Bulma's parents. Yamcha made an appearance, though he admitted that he would not be competing due to the fact that he didn't want "his fans to see him get beat to death on international television". Tien and Chiaotzu managed to get some time away from the little emperor's kingdom to the south, and were escorted by a currently Black haired Launch, who was gently clamped to her three–eyed husband's arm. Puar and Oolong were there, along with the ancient turtle hermit, Roshi. The group was completed by the presence of the Chestnut family, including little Marron. They had even managed to get Android 17 out of his solitude to accompany them. The only members that hadn't ridden with them was Piccolo, who he could sense on the island already, the blondes, and Videl.

At the thought of the raven haired crime fighter, Gohan's face cracked into a small smile. The week since she had mad her move had been an interesting one. Of course there were the insinuations of the blondes and Lime constantly driving him and Videl up the wall, but he couldn't let it bother him too much. That first day back at school, the two of them had spoken in the solitude of the wilderness outside the city about what was to be. Ultimately, they had agreed that they should take things slowly due to their inexperience. Deep down he knew what he wanted. His Saiyan instincts demanded it of him. But the question that had been worrying him or years suddenly came into full light.

_Am I willing to put her at risk? Am I prepared for this?_

So he let things be as they were. Their relationship was not public knowledge, contained only in the small group of teenagers. Not even his mother knew how close he had really grown towards the Crime fighter. He knew that eventually it would all come to light, and he would face the music when that time came, as well as his mother's ranting about grandchildren. But as it was now, he was happy with the secretly stolen kisses and quiet moments with the girl. Even her training had taken on a different tone, and under his direction and assistance she had managed to learn to control her flight enough to discard her jet-copter entirely for moving about the city. The only reason she still used it was to keep up appearances. Everything came down to appearances for them.

She and the twins were the biggest things he was looking forward to on this little outing. The prize money didn't matter to him as he would never need it, nor did he care about the glory of the win. It was great to see everyone again, though he still felt uncomfortable in their presence. But for him to be there for his little siblings and Videl was his top priority, so he put up with it. Instantly he reached out with his senses and identified her amongst a crowd surrounding a large red private jet.

_I still hate that she had to ride with Hercule for "appearances"… Though I am glad that Erasa and Sharpener rode with her. She won't have to endure it all alone._

He stepped from the air-car, rolling his shoulders back and stretching his stiff muscles. He directed his gaze to the edge of the tournament grounds, where people were giving a certain seven-foot tall alien a wide berth. Piccolo was wearing his usual scowl and watching them as they passed with his scrutinizing glare, causing many to flinch and avert their eyes. Gohan smirked and strode up to his old master. As he approached, the Namekian uncrossed his arms and extended a hand towards his student.

"My friend, it's good to see you again."

Gohan grasped his hand firmly and clapped his former mentor on the arm, earning a smirk from the Namekian.

"Same to you Piccolo. It's been too long."

"Ah, none of that today. I'm entering as Ma Jr. I don't think it would be wise to advertise that I am the 'demon king' reincarnate."

Gohan quirked an eyebrow at his former mentor and let out a chuckle.

"Ma Jr.? Come on, you can do better than that right?"

"Don't be surprised boy. Namekians are notoriously ungifted when it comes to creativity. Why do you think they have no art."

The two of them turned to glare at Vegeta as he strode past, bag hung carelessly over his shoulder. Piccolo grumbled out something about how saiyans "have no room to talk" as well as something about "stupid monkeys", eliciting a chuckle from his former student.

"Be nice. Remember I'm half-stupid-monkey, and I'll gladly remind you with my boot if you need it."

"Always the gentle one weren't you?"

Soon greetings were made all around, and the demon trio children had climbed up onto the shoulders of their two favorite mountains; Gohan and Yamcha. Gohan had both of his siblings mounted on his shoulders, and Yamcha struggled with a very hyper Trunks as he clung to the baseball players neck in a piggy-back ride. During the time everyone was gathering their things and preparing to head in to the registry, Gohan felt a very the person he was longing to see approach with her two friends.

"Hey guys! Bardock!"

He and the rest of the Z-fighters turned to meet the newcomers as they jogged over to join them. Aboard his shoulders, the two children waved excitedly to the three teenagers, babbling excitedly until Gohan silenced them gently with a shushing noise. He returned his attention to them as they neared and felt his stomach heat up at the sight of his Videl. Immediately he was able to pick her scent out of the plethora of smells assaulting his senses and his mind settled on her and her alone. He felt a hot jolt run down his spine when he noticed that she had cut her hair, reducing it from the long pigtails down to a messy short cut that showed off her defined jaw line and the smooth ivory skin of her slender neck.

She had mentioned she might cut it after the incident with the Gangsters at the city hall, but he hadn't expected it to be so… _Sexy_. He wasn't sure how else to describe the look on her besides that. It fit her tough-girl attitude and exposed her toned neckline, teasing him with the knowledge of what the rest of her looked like beneath her baggy attire. He pushed the image from his mind, remembering that they had agreed to not make a scene in such a public setting, and simply nodded in her direction.

"Miss Videl."

She sent him a playful glare and lightly punched him on the chest before reaching out and accepting Ria into her arms as the girl hopped from her brother's shoulder.

"Cut the 'miss' crap, you're making me sound like a stranger instead of a fellow crime-fighter. Now are you going to introduce me to your friends?"

He rolled his eyes, smirking behind his disguise and turning so that he was out of the way and the three newcomers could be seen. The Chestnuts, Briefs, and Son family members all waved in acknowledgement to them, and Lime made her way over to give them each a hug before hanging on Sharpeners arm and causing him to blush lightly. Gohan gestured towards the three of them, looking at Piccolo, who just happened to be the nearest.

"Some of you may have already met them but guys, this is Sharpener, Erasa, and Videl. You three, this guy here is Ma jr. He'll be competing with us today."

The teenagers looked up at him, slightly unsure of what to say to the giant green man. Videl tossed Gohan a quick glance before stepping and shifting Ria's weight to one arm and extending the other towards the tall man with a smile. He took her hand hesitantly and shook it, surprised at the strength of the girl's ki. She glanced to her left and right quickly before sending him a knowing smile and muttering so quietly so that nobody else could hear her.

"It's great to finally meet you Piccolo. I've been learning from Gohan about you."

She released his hand and re-joined the other teens, leaving the Namekian in a slightly stunned state. He snapped his eyes towards Gohan, who looked quizzically between his former mentor and the crime fighter before shrugging it off and continuing.

"This is Tien Shinhan and his wife Launch. And this is Chiaoutzu, Ruler of the Mifan Empire."

At the mention of royalty, the three teens eyes snapped wide and they all bowed respectfully towards him, turning the little white man's face a brilliant shade of pink. He waved his hands in front of them, willing them to stop.

"Please. Please there is no need for that! Treat me as you would Gohan or Chi Chi, they're royalty too you know…"

The teens righted themselves, beaming at the familiarity in his voice and nodding in agreement. Gohan chuckled and continued down the line of new faces.

"This is Yamcha, an old friend of the family. Sharpener, now you can squeal like the fangirl I know you are."

The blondes face lit up excitedly despite the insult from his friend, and he shot forward to shake the baseball player's hand excitedly. Fortunately for Sharpener's ego, he didn't squeal like a fangirl, instead choosing to babble about how awesome the former fighter was and how much he idolized him while the others just watched on in amusement. Gohan gestured towards the last unknown in the group; a very bored looking Android 17 that stood by his sister watching the introductions.

"And this grumpy guy here is 18's twin brother, 17."

Erasa was immediately by his side, staring up at him with hearts in her eyes. He looked at her sideways with a quizzical glare.

"Hi there cutie! I'm Erasa, with an E!"

He coughed once to clear his throat and looked at Gohan nervously.

_Oh yea, he hasn't had much human interaction recently. Heh this should be interesting._

The bubbly blonde paused a second, frowning slightly before leaning around 17 and looking at his blonde sister.

"You weren't kidding when you said your father wasn't very creative huh? Well at least you two got good looks out of the gene pool!"

That brought forth several laughs at the expense of the sharp-eyed twins' discomfort. Things proceeded in a blur from there, with introductions made and an excited buzz settling in over the group, they turned to make their way towards the tournament grounds and the registry table. They hadn't even made it ten feet before an audible pop and a slight whoosh of air flowed past them from behind and the group halted as a new ki crashed into their senses. The Z-fighters stiffened suddenly, leaving those that couldn't sense ki looking at them quizzically.

_Wait a second. What is _that?!

Videl and Lime both paused to look up at the tall demi, who was staring off into the distance and radiating tension. Lime reached over and attempted to shake the teen out of his state.

"Gohan? Gohan! What's going on what… Oh my…"

Videl traced Lime's wide-eyed gaze and she gasped when she registered what she was seeing. Goten and Ria were looking about at the stunned Z-fighters as they turned to the newcomer. Gohan felt a twitch in his eye, and his veins filled with ice.

_There's no way. How? How could this be?_

He closed his eyes, willing himself to turn and look at the new presence. He turned and took a deep breath, hoping against hope that he was wrong.

_But I can't be, I would know that ki anywhere._

He opened his eyes and felt his senses leave him entirely. His mind went numb and the rest of his body was cut off from him as he gazed upon the man before him, standing there with a very confused smile and scratching the back of his head nervously just like he always used to.

"D-Dad?"

**A/N: Dont hit me! haha next one is in the works already, I just had to cut it off here to keep the chapter length and also to create suspense =P  
**

**Until next time!**


	20. Reunions Pt 2

**Hey guys! I'm sorry about the delay with getting this one up. Between internet issues, losing my documents, and no small amount of writer's block when it came to certain parts, it took a lot longer for me to get this one out in a way that didn't disappoint me. Fair warning, if you don't like getting hit in the feels, this one might not be for you. Even as hard as it was for me to get enough emotion into words for it... Well R&R and let me know how I did! **

**Chapter 20: Reunions Pt. 2**

Silence hovered over the gathered Z-fighters. All eyes were glued on the deceased Saiyan who stood before them, halo glowing a faint gold above his head. He was obviously apprehensive; scratching at that spot on the back of his neck that seemed would never go away. He nervously scanned their faces for a second until his eyes found the one that had captivated him so many years ago. His face lit up into his trademark grin as he looked upon his wife for the first time in seven years.

_Wow, seven years on and she hasn't changed at all!_

He quickly took her in, drinking in the vision that he had longed to see for so long. Her thin figure, complimented by the gentle curve of her hips and waist, the way she grabbed the front of her Kimono in anxiety and the way she had her hair up in a bun. It was all the way he remembered it, and in that moment, she was all that mattered to him. But despite his joy at seeing his wife again, he felt nerves and uncertainty well up in him, and his smile faded into a nervous frown.

_It _has _been seven years since I left, and she's only human. For all I know, she could have found someone else. Kami if only I could have talked to her!_

He took a tentative step forward, dropping his wayward hand to his side from its place at that incessant itch on his neck.

"Hey guys… It's been a while hasn't it?"

His voice seemed to bring his wife out of whatever state of mental numbness she was in, though her expression still matched that of his long-time friends' behind her. She slowly stepped forward from the rest, closing the distance between them down to almost nothing, hand still clutching her Kimono. She seemed unsteady as she looked up into her husband's eyes, searching for something in his expression. As soon as she wandered into his personal space her scent flowed out to him, re-awakening lost desires and sending his heart on overdrive. He willed himself to be calm and inhaled deeply, her sweet scent shooting through his mind like a ki blast.

"Goku?"

Her gentle whisper washed over him, sending a shiver down his spine at the sound of her long forgotten voice.

"Goku, is that really you?"

Complete silence. The sounds of the tournament grounds were shut out to him completely. Her quiet voice was loaded with uncertainty and thick with emotion. His heart jumped as he fully felt their bond re-open, and her shock rushed over it and into him, mixed with a burning passion that slowly began to re-awaken. He noticed with a flush of joy that there was no trace of guilt in his wife's thoughts.

_Then she hasn't found another!_

He smiled warmly at her, still hesitant to do anything just yet. She cautiously reached out, pausing her hand inches from him and biting on her lower lip nervously, tears welling up in her eyes. She extended her hand the rest of the way and gently placed it on his cheek, and let out the shaky breath she had been holding with an expression of pure joy at the contact. Goku gently reached up and enveloped her tiny hand in his, reveling in the sensation of her skin on his agian.

"Yea, Chi. It's me."

The tension and uncertainty between them dissolved into nothing in the blink of an eye. She leaped forward, throwing her arms around his neck and abruptly began sobbing into his shoulder, staggering him backwards slightly as he caught her. He immediately wrapped his arms around her as far as they could, holding her to him in an attempt to put every ounce of his affection he'd held onto over the years into their embrace. If he could halt time in that one second of bliss, he would have been more than happy to ignore everything else in the universe. Finally reunited with the woman he was forced to abandon, he felt once again the love he had lost while in otherworld.

Chi Chi pushed herself away from him, settling her feet on the ground and grabbing both sides of his head. She pulled him down and kissed him, sending a flood of desires through the Saiyan to rediscover his wife. The taste of her lips, the passionate heat that rushed through their bond; it was intoxicating. A tiny voice cut through their moment, reminding them that they were among friends and they reluctantly broke their embrace, smiling at each other with broad grins.

"Mommy, who's that man? Why are you kissing him like Bulma does with Vegeta?"

Goku started, searching around for the source of the little boy's voice that sounded so oddly familiar to him. His wife backed away from him one step and knelt down next to a young boy, and when he saw him a chill of recognition crawled through his veins. The boy was so familiar to him in his little orange and blue gi and spiky black hair, staring up at him with wide skeptical eyes.

My _eyes... It can't be…_

He knelt down before the child, inspecting him closely while Chi Chi grinned at him through her tears, whispering to him just loud enough for the boy to hear.

"Goten, I can't believe I finally get to say this, but this is your father."

_Goten… There's no denying it, he looks exactly like I did at his age! But how? She must have been pregnant before…_

Joy at meeting his son for the first time threatened to overpower him as he beamed down at the small boy. He was staring right back as the knowledge slowly began to sink in.

"Hi there Goten. I'm Goku."

The child partially hid behind his mother when he started to speak, his wide eyes never leaving his father. Chi Chi chuckled through a sob and nudged him forward. Finally, it seemed to click as he looked the tall Saiyan over, and his confused pout turned into a wide grin reminiscent of the man's across from him.

"Daddy!"

With that loud exclamation he rushed forward and into the arms of his father for the first time, throwing his arms around his neck much like his mother had done before him. Chi Chi beamed and glanced around as yet another tiny figure shot around her towards her husband.

"Daddy-it's-you-I-can't-believe-it!"

Goku started and released his youngest son as the little girl sprinted for him, tears flowing from her eyes and a look of pure awe etched on her face.

_No way! A daughter too!_

Before he knew it, the tiny power-houses that were the twins had him firmly captured in their grasps. He laughed heartily, total joy coursing through his veins as he held the two children close to him. Chi Chi joined him as he effortlessly stood, laying a gentle hand on each of the children's backs.

"Goku, these are our twins; Goten and Ria."

Just like that, everything seemed to happen at once, and Goku was suddenly lost in a barrage of excited hugs and claps on the back from all of his long-time friends. There was Bulma, Krillin and Yamcha; the original three. They were followed quickly by Tien and Chiaotzu. Roshi, Oolong, Puar and Launch greeted him with wide grins followed closely by his father-in-law who picked him up into a bone-crushing hug. Somewhere along the way the twins had left his grasp, choosing instead to clutch onto his gi-pants and watch the goings-on. Everyone greeted him, even Vegeta and the two androids who, he was pleased to see, had finally decided on not destroying the world in their mission to avenge Dr. Gero's failure. But there was one person from the group he longed to see nearly as much as his wife. He extended his senses, but the amount of ki pressuring in on him from the group greeting him clouded his sight.

_My son! Where is my son?_

"Where's Gohan? Is he here with you all?"

All at once the air buzzed with tension, defying the silence that came over them and he glanced around, perplexed by the sudden change in mood. Collectively, the Z-fighters looked around for a sign of the tall demi-saiyan. In the excitement of Goku's return, none had noticed his disappearance, not even Piccolo. Chi Chi again grabbed onto the front of her kimono, her eyes wide as she searched for her son in the group of people about them.

"Oh no…"

Goku felt his stomach plummet; resurfacing the fears he had fought with during his time trapped on the Grand Kai's planet.

_This can't be good… _

"Chi, what's wrong? Where is my son?"

She pursed her lips, looking him dead in the eye, and he didn't need to see the tears to feel the dread and worry radiating from her. Her words that followed however cut through his heart like a knife, confirming what he had feared as soon as he made the decision to remove Cell to King Kai's planet.

"Goku, Gohan's… He's not the same as he used to be. He blamed-… blames himself for what happened, though I know he's been trying to hide it. It's been hard on him, and he just… Kami we need to find him!"

He sighed heavily, tension building in his gut as he imagined what was bound to happen when he found his oldest son. He gently pried the twins from his legs and closed his eyes, searching for the Ki he needed to find so desperately.

_Gohan, where are you son? Come on, talk to me… Darn it he's masking his ki! I should have known this would happen!_

"Why would big brother run away from you?"

Goku started at the softly spoken question from Goten, snapping his eyes wide open. He glanced down at the innocent stares of both his younger children wearing the most pitiful looking pouts he had ever seen in his life, and his heart melted entirely. He rustled their hair affectionately, doing his best to hide the tension behind his voice.

"I don't know, but we'll find him. You two should stay with your mother alright? Daddy is going to go find him, I promise."

He furrowed his brow and gave his wife a meaningful look, and she wordlessly acknowledged him with a nod of the head. She grabbed onto the twins' shoulders, and Ria immediately grabbed onto the hem of her Kimono, burying her face in the fabric to dry her tears of anxiety. Goku tore his gaze away from the sight and took a deep breath before setting out to find his wayward son.

***OUTSIDE THE TOURNAMENT ARENA***

_Come on Gohan, where did you go?_

Videl was panting, fighting to get her breath under control as she searched for the tall demi-saiyan. His departure was so sudden, and she had been so caught in the moment as Chi Chi was reunited with Goku that it had taken Lime's panicked shaking of her shoulder to realize he had disappeared. As soon as the four teens had realized his disappearance, they had sprinted after him. Videl, being in such better condition now that Gohan had trained her, was way ahead of the others in her search for him.

She didn't really know what way she was going, rather she was just following her gut. Somehow she knew that she would find him, but it failed to quell the panic growing in her chest. So she sprinted, her mind racing as she searched for him. Soon she was away from all the crowds, and found herself outside the complex, running around the edge of the building where nobody was. She rounded the corner and froze in her tracks.

_Shit!_

He was standing there, hunched over with his forehead against the concrete wall of the structure with his hands balled into fists behind his head. She could feel the tension vibrating the air around him, and noted his breathing was coming in heavy. There was no way for her to see his face, but she could very well imagine what he looked like right now. She took a hesitant step forward and nearly jumped out of her skin when he moved suddenly, throwing his fist forward at chest height and burying it in the structure with a loud crash. She could feel the anger pouring out of him in waves.

A sudden commotion from the direction she had come from caught her attention, and she felt a jolt of fear as the other three finally caught up, panting and looking as panicked as she felt.

_Crap, if Gohan's about to lose it… They need to stay away from him!_

She motioned for them to stop frantically, waving for them to get away. Erasa and Sharpener got the message and turned to head back to the group, leaving Lime to stare at the raven-haired crime fighter nervously. Videl swallowed past the lump in her throat and repeated the unspoken command. She hated telling his oldest friend to run for her own safety, but she worried what would happen if she were there. It was bad enough that she was about to risk her own safety to try and calm the half-saiyan, but if Lime was in the mix and got hurt as well…

_I'm sorry Lime, but this one is for me to risk. _

The brunette frowned, her brow wrinkled in worry as she watched the crime fighter tell her to run for it. But much to Videl's relief she nodded and turned on her heel to chase after the blondes. Videl returned her eyes to the Demi, searching for a sign that she was okay to approach. He had removed his fist from the wall and sank to his knees, his chest heaving with his shaky breathing. Steeling herself against her fear, she quietly approached him. He stiffened when she neared, his breath coming up short as he sensed her directly behind him. She hesitated, unsure of what she was supposed to do.

"Why did it have to be him? Seven years, and he just… Comes back…"

Videl furrowed her brow and cautiously extended her hands to rest on his shoulders. He flinched at the contact, but let it be. She gently lowered herself next to him, trying to look him in the eyes.

"What does it matter Gohan? He's back!"

"Why does it matter?"

He abruptly stood with a feral growl, backing away from her and glaring at her hard through the shade of his hood. She steadied herself against the wall at his sudden movement, righting herself and glaring right back. Her heart was pounding in her chest out of fear, but she knew that she needed to pull all the stops out and get through to him. He was seething, and behind his disguise she could see his hardened eyes glowing teal as he transformed. His aura flashed gold and swirled around him in an inferno as he fought to control himself. Now he was full out yelling at her, his voice quaking with barely restrained emotion.

"I _killed_ him Videl! He put his faith in me and I returned his trust by killing him! Tell me, what am I supposed to do? I can't very well just waltz up to him and pretend that nothing happened!"

Knowing full well the dangerous ground she was treading, she mustered up her courage and closed the distance between them, fighting the gale-force winds tearing at her clothing. She took a deep breath and forced as much confidence into her glare and words as she could.

"Gohan he's your father! You haven't seen him in seven years! You need to speak to him at least!"

She noticed out the corner of her eyes that his hands clenched even tighter, straining the gloves stretched over them to the point that the material ripped over the bulges of his knuckles. He clenched his eyes shut and his aura faded, taking the wind with it. Just like that, his mood shifted, almost imperceptibly. The anger was still there, that much she was certain, but no longer was it directed outwards. She could practically hear him raging at himself internally.

"I… I can't Videl! I can't face him!"

Her heart bled for him, wishing that she could help take away the pain he was writhing in. She closed the gap between them, small as it was, and pursed her lips in anticipation for what she was about to do. She reached up and tugged the hood down behind his head, allowing his hair to spring forth in its white-gold glory. He cracked his eyes to glare at her, and she almost lost herself in the teal pools of dispair. Forcing herself to continue, she ran her hands down the sides of his face, pulling the mask down so that it was hanging around his thick neck against his chest. Her hands found their way back to his cheeks, and her eyes locked with his. She furrowed her brow, trying to force him to see how much she wanted to help him. To show him that he wasn't alone.

"Gohan you have to talk to him."

He scrunched his face, fighting with himself and grasping her wrists. But he didn't pull away from the contact, instead leaning into one of her hands slightly as she cupped his cheek.

"How? What can I say? You saw the halo over his head, he's still dead. I don't know why he's here, but there's nothing I can say… I can't fix it… I can't…"

She felt her heart break at his anguish, and she found herself at a loss for words. It was true, she had seen the halo, and if that meant he was dead…

_But he was standing right there. Dammit!_

She just searched his face for a moment, trying to find the words to say. Giving up her hopeless battle, she did the only thing that she could think of. She pulled herself up to him and kissed him, locking their lips together. It was brief and much gentler than the first they had shared, but no less passionate. In it she poured all of the strength and willpower she could give him by contact alone. He relaxed, letting himself be taken away momentarily by the power of such a simple gesture. His hair faded to black, and when she pulled away to gaze upon him again, his eyes were back to their normal onyx.

"Gohan this isn't something you can run from. You _have _to face this right now or you will forever regret it. This is your chance to bury this once and for all. I beg of you… Take it."

***BACK WITH GOKU***

_There! Wow is that from Gohan?_

His eyes darted off in the direction the sudden burst in ki came from. He was sure of it now, Gohan was no longer inside the compound. He glanced over to where Piccolo was, catching the Namekians eye. They both nodded in recognition and began making their way through the crowds in search of the source. On the opposite side of the tournament arena he could feel the other Z-fighters heading his direction as well. He barely made it to the outer wall before he spotted three teens that all stopped short at the sight of him. Recognition barely registered in his mind as he took in their flushed faces, bee-lining towards them as they panted and glanced at each other nervously. The one with auburn hair nodded to the others and stood straight, stepping forward to intercept him part way.

"Hey you guys, I saw you with the others back outside. I'm sorry I don't have time for introductions right now, is he over there?"

The brunette nodded and fought to catch her breath, hunching over and clutching a stitch in her side. He mumbled his thanks and made to pass her, but she reached out and halted him with a surprising amount of force.

"Wait-… Goku - you might not - want to go to him - right now…"

He furrowed his brow and looked down at the girl, pondering where he had seen her before. He jogged his memory, trying to place the girl in his mind. She stood and took a deep breath, trying to calm herself, and looked right up at him with those startling emerald eyes.

"I've spent the last few years trying to help him piece his life back together. You showing up right now might have just sent him over the edge! I honestly don't know what's going through his mind right now, but it can't be anything good!"

He narrowed his eyes at her, considering her for a few seconds. The dread in his gut only became more prominent and he looked in the direction he could feel his son's fluctuating ki in, as if trying to see him through the walls that separated them.

"I want to see him. No, I _need _to see him!"

"Goku! He might snap on you if you're not careful! I've seen him kill people when he's still in the right state of mind, much worse when he loses control! Tempting fate when he's like this is not a good idea!"

_Kill? Gohan… That seals it._

He set his brow and gazed at her with a disarming smile, pointing up at the halo above his head.

"I'll tempt it this time I think. After all, I'm already dead, and I can take him elsewhere if need be."

Without a further word, he brushed past her and the other two teenagers, who watched him pass with wide-eyed expressions. As he rounded the corner, he could hear the boy mumble something about him being nuts.

Then, there he was with a short girl who barely came up to chest height on him. She was standing with her back to him, dressed in an overly-baggy pink shirt and white tank-top with bicycle shorts. Her hair was cut short, and she appeared to be speaking to his son, forcing him to focus on her at the moment with how she was holding his face in her hands. His breath caught in his throat as he saw his son for the first time in seven years.

_He's so grown now…_

He was huge, far larger than Goku had ever imagined him becoming. He guessed that the teen now stood an inch or two taller than even him, and judging by the way that armor fit him, he hadn't slacked off on his training in the least over his absence. He noted that his hair was short and still its midnight black color and let out some of his worry in a sigh of relief when he realized his ki had leveled off and became steady.

_Well that's a good start… He's not super. That girl... I wonder if that's her doing._

He glanced around, making sure that none of the other Z-fighters had made an appearance. Despite his current calm demeanor, Goku knew all too well what sort of beast could be unleashed if his son was pushed too far. After all, that was what had ultimately resulted in this situation. He took a deep breath and began making his way towards the two of them, spiking his ki enough to be noticed. Instantly, his son's head snapped up and locked eyes with him with a cold, empty stare the likes of which sent a shiver down the Saiyan's spine. It was in that moment that he noticed the scar decorating his face from forehead to cheek, and the hard set of his jaw.

The black haired girl turned her head to glance at the approaching Saiyan quickly before releasing him and stepping aside with a quick softly spoken word to stand directly behind and to the left of him. He quickly glanced her over as she grabbed onto his son's hand and looked fearfully between the two with a pair of some of the most beautiful azure eyes he'd ever seen. He quickly pushed the thought from his mind, refocusing on his son's eyes as he approached. Stopping a few feet away from him, he returned the glare being sent his way, trying to interpret exactly what was going on behind those cold eyes.

"Gohan… My son…"

He could feel the tension suddenly pull taught between them, and his son's eyes narrowed. At his side, his one free hand clenched and the muscles in his arms rippled. The muscles in his jaw twitched and those eyes reflected so much pain it hurt Goku's chest to watch. The girl at his side grasped onto his son's arm, those blue eyes locking onto the side of his head, and he visibly relaxed. Goku couldn't help but be impressed.

_Wow, how can she tame him just like that? Who is this girl? Surely he hasn't mated already? Has it been that long?_

Gohan averted his eyes, choosing instead to look at the ground in-between his father's feet.

"Father."

The deep voice that rumbled from his son's throat completely caught him off guard. It was strained and choked with uncertain emotions. He took a deep breath, and plunged into the deep end with a small smile on his face and strong hopes to re-open his bond with his first born.

"You've grown… You're even taller than I am now!"

Gohan blinked a few times in surprise before snapping his gaze to the elder Saiyan with incredulity written all over his face. Goku held the stare, letting his suppressed joy to over-run the other emotions that had been plaguing him. Finally, after all this time, he was speaking to his son!

"How can you seem so happy to see me?"

That quickly killed his smile, sending his stomach plummeting back down to somewhere between his feet. He searched his son's face again, trying to understand the meaning behind the question. But being as brutally honest as Goku was, he simply stated the first thing that came to mind.

"I can't be happy to see my own son after seven years? You're a grown man now, and I missed all of it. I can't help but wonder at how you've changed!"

Gohan's eyes again dropped, refusing to meet his father's as he spoke. Goku could practically feel the shame being radiated from him.

"No, father. I mean how can you just… speak to me like nothing has happened?"

An awkward silence settled in the air, and neither of them could find the words to fill it. Goku pondered his son for a moment, realizing just how much his death had affected the boy. No more was the child he had trained with for those years before Cell. No more was the frightened little boy that he had to push so hard to achieve super saiyan. In his place was this broken and battered man, barely clinging onto the remnants of what his son used to be. Immediately his eyes were drawn to the scar stretched across his eye, and he spoke.

_Just what has he been through since I left?_

"Then tell me Gohan. What's happened? For starters, how did you get that?"

Gohan's eyes met his yet again for a short moment before they returned to their inspection of the grass. His hand absently traced the line of the scar down his cheek as his eyes unfocused. The raven haired girl gripped his arm firmly, giving the Saiyan a look that told him that said she wanted to know as well. Goku watched closely as his eyes darted around in tiny movements, reliving some part of his past in his mind.

"I found out about the twins. Two weeks after… After Cell… I panicked and ran from mom. I tried to kill myself by self-destruction, but I couldn't do it… My conscience wouldn't let me take the easy way out. I ended up crashing into a forest, and instead of having Dende heal it, I left the scar to remind me of my mistake."

Goku felt a cold chill spread from somewhere deep in the pit of his stomach to the tips of his fingers and back again. It was unfathomable to him that his own son, the same child who had always seemed so cheery, had been driven to the point of suicide. He could only stare at the boy, and noticed that the raven-haired girl next to him had a mortified expression that must have mirrored his own.

"But why? Gohan the twins! Your mother, why would you run from th-"

"Because of you!"

The young man's pained roar felt like a punch from Freeza to his gut. The demi's hands clenched into fists and he stepped forward, leaving the startled girl to watch after him with wide eyes. His face formed into a snarl, baring his teeth at his father. Gohan's hands lunged forward to grip the front of his father's gi. Goku couldn't move out of shock as his own son advanced on him, twisting the material of his uniform in his gloved hands and snarling down menacingly at him.

"Me?"

The growl that formed in the back of his son's throat rumbled out to him, rattling his very soul.

"You. You left me! You left mom! You left your unborn children! You died, just like that. And I?... I…"

His demeanor changed suddenly. Goku watched as the snarl slowly dropped from his face, to be replaced by an agonized grimace. The demi's eyes glossed over rapidly, and he slammed his eyes shut, refusing to let his father see the tears that were threatening to come forth. The grip on his gi lessened ever so slightly before Gohan shoved him away, staggering the Saiyan back a few steps. Gohan held his hands before him, glaring at them and mumbling out barely audible words that were all too clear in the older Saiyan's head.

"I… It was my fault. I killed you. I killed my own father and left my brother and sister fatherless. I left my mother a widow."

_So much rode on his shoulders that day. Far more than any eleven year old should ever have. And he's been carrying this since then? He's not the one to blame here, I am! I was the one who put him there in the first place!_

His thoughts were interrupted as his son dropped to his knees heavily, settling back on his heels with his hands in his lap. He wasn't even attempting to stem the flow of tears anymore and they were flowing freely down his cheeks as he glared at the ground between them.

"It's my fault father. I did this to you, and I never even got to say... I'm sorry."

As Goku watched the young man, he immediately thought of the young child standing before him so timidly the day that Vegeta and Nappa had come, apologizing for his failure to act. He was no longer the giant, overbearing person he had been only seconds ago. All Goku could see was those same sorrowful eyes staring back up at him, shame evident in every line of his face.

Just as it had done that day, so many years ago, his heart melted in his chest. He would have gone to any length, even suffered through death itself yet again to make it better for his son, if it would help take away the anguish torturing him so. He stepped right in front of his son at arms-length and squatted back on his haunches, settling his forearms on his knees and looking him right in the face.

"Gohan, you have nothing to apologize for! You couldn't have known what was going to happen, neither could I. You never should have had to shoulder that responsibility in the first place, and it was wrong for me to have left everything for you to deal with alone."

Goku extended one hand, grasping his shoulder. The teen flinched at the contact and Goku could feel a shiver rack his body as he tried to pull away from it, clenching his eyes shut. But Goku held firm. Gohan's ragged breathing rang loud in his ears as he struggled to form words.

"But you did, and I failed you. I had the ability to do it right and I failed!"

His head bowed forward, and Goku realized just how deep his self-hatred must have been held within him. He searched for the words to say that would allow his son to unburden the weight on his chest. He glanced up and noticed the short girl looking directly at him, glossed over eyes burning right into his. She mouthed the words "forgive him, he needs you to forgive him" with a nod towards the distraught demi-saiyan. The elder Saiyan furrowed his brow and looked back to his son who was still refusing to meet his gaze.

_Forgive… There's nothing to forgive him for! He stepped into my shoes when I left, helping his mother raise the twins and Kami knows what else since I've been gone. But if it will help…_

He took a deep breath and formed what he needed to say in his mind, hesitating slightly before he began to glance back at the girl again. She nodded, her face set and her lips pursed in a serious scowl. Goku squeezed his son's shoulder, pushing him back slightly so that his eyes were no longer down-cast and he could look into his son's face.

"Gohan none of us are perfect, neither is this world we live in. We all made mistakes that day, and we all wish it had turned out better. This is not your responsibility to shoulder alone son. But…"

He paused, lifting Gohan's chin and catching his icy gaze in his own. He looked past the scar. He looked past the cold dead look in his son's eyes. Behind all of his outward appearances, he could see those same eyes that had stared up at him on so many occasions with apprehension and hope. That same burning desire for his father's approval still resided in them, and Goku smiled.

"For what it's worth son… I forgive you."

Just like that, with those three words, the tension snapped completely. A fire lit behind the eyes of his son, and he gripped onto the older Saiyans forearm firmly. For a moment, Goku worried that his son was going to react poorly to the words. But that was washed away as soon as he was pulled roughly into a hug by the demi. Their embrace said a million things that even the most eloquent words could not convey, and Goku couldn't help himself; He beamed his brightest smile, joy bursting forth from him in waves. He looked towards the girl to find her smiling warmly at him, and mouthed "thanks" to her. She simply nodded and watched the two of them, hugging herself nervously.

"Goku Son?"

The three started and looked towards the source of the high voice that rang through the silence that had settled so peacefully over the scene. Goku was even more startled though by the appearance of the man who had spoken and the second man – no, giant – that accompanied him. The speaker was short, probably as short as Krillin were they to be put side-by-side, and had a faint purple tone to his skin. His hair was white and poofed up into a Mohawk. His companion was even taller than piccolo, and at least twice as broad. His complexion was bright pink in color, and he had long hair that flowed down his back of the same color as the short mans. They were both dressed in an unusual garb resembling a cross between a traditional kimono and the clothing Broly had worn on new Vegeta, and a set of dangling earrings from each ear.

And both of them looked dangerous. Their expressions showed no outward signs of emotion, and Goku had a sinking feeling in his gut.

_King Kai said that I would have to find two people named Shin and Kibito once I got here, though he didn't even know what they were supposed to look like. Is this them? They certainly don't look like earthlings._

He stood, assisting his son to stand and gave him a look that said they would talk later. Gohan had recomposed his face, showing no sign of his distress minutes before other than the faint streaks on his cheeks. Ignoring the dangerous glint that momentarily sparked in his son's eyes, he turned to face the newcomers. In his peripherals he could sense the other Z-fighters moving in towards the two unusual ki that radiated from them.

"Yea I'm Goku. Though I don't think we've met before…"

The purple man nodded with a smirk that didn't fit him at all. The sharp lines of his face gave him a sinister look that stirred Goku's stomach slightly.

"Ah, but how rude of me, of course. My name is Shin, and this is my assistant Kibito."

_So it is them. Wow, they aren't anything like I was expecting. And that ki? Why can't I seem to see it like I can with the others? It's so strange… Alien…_

"Dad, you know these guys?"

The deep rumble of his son's voice rolled out to him in undertones from right behind him, and he barely caught the dangerous tone of his question. He was surprised at how quickly his son had snapped back into the warrior mindset, almost like a switch had been flipped. He turned his head without taking his eyes off of the smirking man.

"No, but King Kai said I needed to find them when I got here."

At the mention of the Kai, he heard his son's breath catch and the air took on a tense buzz.

"Are you sure about this dad? The Kais-"

"It's alright Gohan. I wouldn't have been sent here for no reason, let's just hope that these two know what that reason is."

A rough grunt emanated from the demi-saiyan, and a rustle of clothing could be heard as he crossed his arms. Goku turned his attention solely back to Shin.

"Alright Shin, you've found me. Now what's going on here? Why have I been brought back to Earth? I mean, I'm not one to complain, but…"

The short man's smirk deepened, stalling any further comment that the Saiyan had.

"Ah, all in due time my good man. You will know when you are needed. Right now however, I believe that the registration for this – tournament is it? – shall be closing soon, and I would very much like the opportunity to face you in the ring."

_A challenge? You've got to be kidding me! Is this what I was brought back for? Maybe all that training I was being put through in otherworld was for this? But that doesn't make sense…_

"Well okay… If you say so."

"Excellent. Now, do not mind my presence here Goku, we will not interfere with your time here, limited as it is."

"Limited? How much time do I have?"

Shock momentarily shot into the purple man's expression, and he glanced up towards his assistant.

"I thought you would have been told already… You only have as long as we shall be here, which may only be for the duration of this tournament."

_One day! Darn I was hoping to get to stay longer!_

"But until then Goku, you are free to do what you will here. I know it has been a long while for you. Just don't forget that we will need you later."

With that, Shin took a short bow directed at the Saiyans and turned on his heel to walk back into the tournament arena. Kibito continued to glare at them for a moment longer before he too turned and left them in complete silence. Within seconds of their departure, they were joined by Krillin, Vegeta, Tien, and Piccolo. All but the tall Namekian glared after the two retreating figures until they disappeared, while Piccolo appeared to be lost in thought about something. Gohan stepped up to stand shoulder to shoulder with his father, glaring after them.

"I don't like it, something is very wrong with those two. I couldn't sense their ki, at least not like normal."

"Why does it matter? They cannot defeat a Saiyan in battle! What did they want Kakarot?"

Goku settled his gaze upon the Saiyan Prince, considering what he would tell them.

"I don't know what they want guys. Shoot, honestly I don't even know why I got sent back. All I know is that they're my 'escorts' that King Kai told me to find when I got here. Other than that, the short one asked me to enter the tournament. He also said that I'll only be here as long as they are... Which might just be today."

All eyes fell upon him at the revelation. Krillin was the first to find his voice, his eyes watering slightly.

"But Goku, you just got back!"

"I know…"

An uncomfortable silence settled over the group, eyes down-cast. Goku mused about what he should do with his time, seeing as he had very little of it to spend with his family. His priority right then was to repair the damage done by his untimely departure as much as possible, starting with his son. His musings were interrupted by the gruff voice of the Saiyan Prince however.

"Well I for one, am not going to waste this opportunity to fight you again Kakarot! We will fight, and I will prove I am the stronger!"

Somehow that broke the tension among the group, and all present laughed at the Saiyan's antics except for Gohan and Piccolo. Both were still lost in thought and not paying attention to the conversation. Suddenly, the air was rent with a dull roar, stunning them all into silence and even catching Piccolo and Gohan's attention. Goku laughed sheepishly and scratched that incessant itch at the back of his neck that only seemed to appear when he was nervous.

"Well, that's fine and all Veggie… But can we eat first?"

"Hmph… You're on Kakarot!"

With that, the group dispersed towards the arena. Gohan remained behind, waving on the others with a distant look in his eye. Goku hesitated, wanting to stay with his son even more than he wanted to stuff his face. But Piccolo gently grabbed his shoulder and steered him away from the demi, knowing full well that the young man needed some time. Shortly, only Gohan and Videl were left to look after them. Videl turned her gaze up towards the tall demi.

"Gohan? Are you alright?"

He shifted his eyes to meet her gaze and gave her a weak smile.

"Honestly? No."

A short silence settled between them, in which Videl wrung her hands nervously while worriedly watching him.

"But you were right. I can't run from it anymore… I'll be alright later… Thanks."

He reached over and took one of her hands into his, giving her a reassuring squeeze.

"I'm more worried about you actually. You just saw a dead man walking around and talking."

She chuckled and raised an eyebrow at him.

"Let's see, in the last week alone I've discovered that we aren't alone in the universe, and that you're half alien. Before that I learned that humans can fly, shoot light from their hands, and discovered that you were the one who killed Cell. On top of that you tell me you know Kami on a first name basis. Quite honestly, I don't think there's anything you could tell me that would surprise me anymore."

"Oh I think there are a few things that might surprise you yet."

"Such as?"

"I'll tell you some other time. I think you can learn about the rest of my past, but there's too much for me to cover all at once."

A silence settled between them again, only to be broken by a rumble distinctly resembling that which had emanated from Goku's moments earlier. Videl rolled her eyes and shook her head, and stepped up to quickly peck him on the cheek.

"Come on then Bardock. Let's not keep your stomach waiting either; I don't think your mother would appreciate it if I let you starve out here. Besides, you still need to introduce me to your father."

She pulled his hood back up over his hair, casting his face in a shadow. He took a deep breath and watched her as she pulled back and walked off in the same direction as the others, beckoning him to follow. His gaze fell to the grass as his thoughts collected in his mind, replaying everything that had just happened. He reached up and replaced the mask over his mouth and nose, and followed after her.

_Possibly one day. That's all I have. I have to do it right this time. I'll make my mistake up to you somehow father. I owe it to you... to everyone. For starters, I think I'll keep an eye on those two… Shin and Kibito was it? I'll be watching you two…_

**A/N: Again, sorry about the delay! The next one shouldn't take that long to put up, I swear! You guys have fun!**


	21. Preliminaries

**Hey guys! Here you go, the start of the tournament! This was a much easier chapter to write, as it's a lot lighter on the whole "right in the feels" department. Anyways, the next chapter is already being worked on so you can probably expect it in just a couple days =). Thanks for all the reviews, seriously, they just help me keep wanting to write this all down! There's an easter-egg of sorts in this chapter, and when you find it you'll definitely know... Don't hate me for it, I couldn't resist! **

**Quick A/N: Before you go on to the story, I just wanted to point out that they are at the 26****th**** tournament in this story, not the 25****th****. After all, the time gap between tournaments was three years in the Dragon-ball series, and even with a 10 year hiatus to rebuild and reorganize, there's still almost another 10 years in there where only one tournament happened in DBZ… I thought that was silly, so I made a second one. The last one happened five years before, and the 24****th**** five before that. Just for the reference.**

**Anyways, on to the story! R&R and enjoy!**

**Chapter 21: Preliminaries**

"Wow no way! It's you guys!"

The Z-fighters paused, turning towards the excited voice calling out to them. Those that had fought in previous tournaments found themselves being hailed by the tournament announcer, now in his late forties judging by the lines on his face and the thick blonde mustache that matched his receding hair. He waved excitedly, pushing his sunglasses up further on his face and rushing over to meet them.

"I can't believe it! Goku! Tien! Krillin! You're all here! And with some new faces I see. Wow, it's been so long, I thought you'd never come back to compete again! These things just haven't been the same without you. How've you all been?"

He grasped Goku's hand firmly in a warm handshake, beaming around at them all. Goku laughed nervously and scratched the back of his head.

"Oh, you know… I've just been busy; Started a family and... Well I kinda died. I'm just back for today."

He pointed up at the halo floating above his head. The announcer seemed lost for words as he looked up at the halo incredulously. Seeming to make up his mind about something, he shook his head and beamed at the tall Saiyan.

"Well after all the crazy things I've seen you do, I won't start doubting you now!"

The announcer looked around him at the other faces, acknowledging the ones he knew and politely nodding to the ones that he didn't. He glanced down and noticed that there were four children in the group; two that looked like they were brother and sister, then the Lavender haired kid and the little blonde girl. He beamed down at them.

"I take it that these little ones are a part of that family? Are you guys going to be competing as well?"

The little girl just stared up at him with wide eyes and a finger stuck in her mouth. Krillin patted her head and smiled warmly at her.

"Nope, not this one. Those three however…"

The two midnight haired children and the Lavender haired kid all nodded, and he ruffled their hair affectionately.

"Outstanding! You know, Krillin and Goku were the youngest fighters in the tournament before there was a junior division! If I know your guys' types, you'll put on a good show for sure! Speaking of shows…"

He glanced around quickly and leaned in to speak in low tones to the group.

"I know that was you guys at the Cell games, and I don't buy that story that Mr. Satan gave us. Tell me, it was really you all wasn't it?"

Most of the Z-fighters smiled knowingly at him, but Goku furrowed his brow in confusion, glancing in the direction of another easily recognizable figure that was making his way towards them, flanked by one Videl Satan. The announcer stood up straight, seemingly in awe of the masked super-hero and Satan City's crime fighting heroine. He returned his attention quickly to the Z-fighters, waving them towards the registration desk. He didn't appear to comprehend that Goku had just unintentionally told him exactly who had killed Cell.

"Fantastic! Bardock and Videl made it. If you all would please make your way to the registration table, we'll get this under-way! Unfortunately old rules still apply, and the guests won't be able to watch the prelims, but you can enter the waiting area with the fighters. I can't wait to see you guys in the ring! And let's try not to destroy this one?"

Without another word to the group, he turned and quickly made his way towards the heroes of Satan City, leaving Goku to watch after him with a curious expression. The tall Saiyan turned his quizzical stare towards the prince of Saiyans, who was watching the announcer with his usual glare.

"Mr. Satan's story... Bardock... What's he talking about?"

"Bardock is the name of your son's alter-ego. For some reason he feels the need to hide his abilities behind a mask. The world doesn't know that he defeated Cell. They all believe it was that oaf Satan."

Goku sighed and crossed his arms, watching his son as he was waved down by the announcer.

"Man, a lot's happened… I can't believe I missed all of it."

Chi Chi grasped his arm, leaning into him and giving him a reassuring smile.

"Come on sweetie, let's get everyone registered and then we can fill you in over some breakfast! I hear that fighters have an all-you-can-eat buffet set out for them."

At the mention of food, his face lit up and the group made their way into the tournament grounds. Goku seemed to lose himself in thought for a second before glancing back down towards the little pig-tailed blonde girl skipping next to Krillin.

"Hey, uh Krillin? I know it's been a while but, is that your daughter?"

The short fighter smiled down at the little girl and picked her up, cradling her with one arm.

"Yup! This is my little Marron!"

"Wow, that's great! But… um who's her mother?"

"I am."

Goku glanced over his shoulder at the firm voice that sounded right behind and to the right of him. Android 18 was giving him her ever-present icy glare, no emotion evident on her face. Goku's jaw dropped and he looked to his friend with wide eyes.

"Android 18? But how?"

Before the short fighter could respond, the android deadpanned at him.

"Do you want to know how the act-of went, or should I spare you the details?"

Krillin coughed and sent his wife a nervous look.

"Let's not go there babe. She's still human Goku, so you can ignore the whole Android bit. 18 and I got married about five years ago, and Marron here came to us a year after. Simple as that."

Goku nodded, returning his gaze towards the front, still slightly stunned by this new information.

"Yea, simple..."

***BACK WITH GOHAN***

The two crime fighters followed them at a distance, and were quickly intercepted by Lime and the blondes. Erasa made a bee-line for the tall demi-saiyan, crushing him in a back-breaking hug and staggering him slightly, babbling about how worried she was about him. Lime quickly pulled Videl to the side while Gohan was distracted and trying to console the blonde girl.

"Okay, now what happened? I half expected this entire block to go up in smoke for a second there. What did you do?"

Videl blinked a few times, thinking about what had just transpired as she pieced it together in her mind. Thinking back, she wasn't positive why she did what she did, or even why it worked. He'd been scaring the life out of her and she had still somehow managed to talk him down.

"Well, to be honest with you I'm not exactly sure what it was I said that got him to calm down. I mean he went super and all that, I kinda scolded him a bit, and then told him he couldn't run from it. I don't really know how, but it worked. He and his dad talked, and Goku forgave him."

Lime cocked an eyebrow at her, her mouth slightly agape.

"Let me get this straight… You, a normal human girl, yelled at a pissed off super-saiyan?"

"Well… yea I kinda had to… it was windy."

"And that worked?"

Videl just nodded, blushing slightly when she realized how reckless it sounded when it was put that way. Lime stood there a moment, just staring at the raven haired girl before breaking out into laughter. Gohan managed to wiggle his way out of Erasa's hug and looked towards the brunette, crossing his arms in front of his chest.

"And _what _is so funny Lime?"

The girl only laughed harder, leaning on Videl for support as her sides shook with mirth. The crime fighter watched her with a quizzical glare and held onto her as she tried to recover enough to talk. Lime wiped a tear from her eye and met Gohan's gaze with a twinkle in her eye.

"You – haha – you Saiyans! – hahahaha – Vegeta and you – haha – I just realized – hmmphfff!"

She tried unsuccessfully to suppress her laughter behind her hand, biting her knuckle at the glare the two black haired teens sent her way.

"Realized what?"

"You monkey boys are so _whipped! _HAHAHAHAHA!"

Both the black haired teens blushed furiously, to the point that even Gohan's face could be seen turning red behind his mask, and the two blondes shared a quizzical look.

"Monkey boy?"

"Saiyan? What's a Saiyan?"

Videl pinched the bridge of her nose, trying to hide her blush behind her hand. She abruptly let go of the brunette at her side, allowing her to fall onto her back where she continued laughing and earning a snicker out of Sharpener.

"Ask again later Erasa."

A pause came over the conversation and the four of them watched Lime unsuccessfully tried to fight her fit of laughter. It was contagious, and soon enough the two blondes were laughing right along with her, albeit not as hysterically. Videl crossed her arms and looked away from them, instead choosing to stare at a rather interesting pillar a few feet away from them. Sharpener elbowed Gohan lightly in the side, catching his attention. He raised an eyebrow and made a whipping motion with one of his hands while making a cracking noise with his mouth. Gohan just grunted and rolled his eyes before striding over to where Lime was laying. He quickly picked her up bridal style and set her on her unsteady feet.

"Very funny Lime. Just don't say that around Vegeta, he might not take it as gracefully as I can."

"Pffft! All I'd have to do is get Bulma on him with her pan!"

The tall demi sighed heavily and rolled his eyes as she broke out into a fresh bout of laughter. Now, even Videl had joined her, giggling at the mental image of the Blue-haired genius bossing around the short man and smacking him over the head with a frying pan.

"Lime, she doesn't use a pan… That's mom."

"Heehee true! Shoot I don't know how many times I've seen you get hit with-…"

She gasped suddenly, eyes shooting wide as she stared at him. He quirked an eyebrow at her, shifting his weight nervously as her shock faded into a devious sneer. She craned her neck to the side and looked right at Videl, who blinked a few times in surprise at the change in demeanor.

"Before I forget… We need to get you a frying pan."

Gohan groaned and rolled his eyes sky-wards in a glare directed at the lookout as the others started laughing anew.

"I hate you…"

***WAITING AREA – 10 MINUTES LATER***

"Wow really? Broly huh?"

Gohan nodded towards the older Saiyan, sitting with his back to a wall and watching the crowds beyond the breakfast tables where they were all seated and waiting for the tournament to begin. Goku had an enormous mound of food before him, as did Vegeta, and both Saiyans were digging in at inhuman rates. The only ones present who seemed even remotely surprised were the blondes, who hadn't seen anyone with an appetite that large besides Gohan, and his didn't even come close to a full blooded saiyans. The gang watched as plate after plate disappeared into the abyss and listened to the conversation going on, occasionally pitching in during the story in an attempt to fill-in the dead Saiyan. For many of them, this was the first time they had really gotten anything out of the eldest demi-saiyan about the fight with the Legendary Super Saiyan, and they listened with rapt attention.

"Man I thought we had seen the last of that guy on new Vegeta."

Off at the other end of the table, Vegeta grunted through his mouthful of food, swallowing quickly.

"As did I. However he managed to survive what you did to him there, the brat here finished him after he attacked the other brats and the brown haired girl there."

Goku paused momentarily to glance over at the girl, who gave a small smile and shrugged. He swallowed his food and considered her again, cocking his head to the side.

"I swear I've seen you before. We've met haven't we?"

Ria answered for her, bouncing happily on her older brother's knee next to Goten and grinning at her adopted sister.

"She's Lime! She's been our sister our whole lives! But she doesn't live with us, she lives in a village over in the forest."

Goku smiled, his memory finally clicking into place.

"Oh I remember! That village with the dome that Gohan blasted! You were the little girl he rescued from the river right? And your grandfather is Mr. Lao!"

"Yea that's right. He is still running his shop in town, but I've been living at Capsule Corporation with Bulma so I can attend high school with Gohan."

"High… School? Huh?"

The three teenagers besides Gohan and Lime stared at him incredulously, causing him to laugh sheepishly and scratch the back of his neck. Chi chi giggled and rubbed his shoulder affectionately, gazing between the three newcomers with a small smile.

"Goku didn't have any formal schooling when he was growing up like I did. Goku, dear, I asked our son to go to High school so that he could make friends his age. Speaking of, you still need to introduce them Gohan!"

Gohan started, emerging from his focused state as he watched a group of contestants pass by. He cleared his throat and glanced over at the three teens, who looked at him expectantly.

"Well, guys you already know this is my dad. Dad, this is Sharpener, Erasa, and Videl."

He looked them over quickly, filing away their faces with their names with a grin plastered on his face. He noted that the two blondes seemed to be in a slight state of shock, evident in their paled expressions and distant gazes.

_They seem pretty out of it. Doesn't look like they know too much about Gohan like Lime does. The other one though…_

He couldn't help remembering how well she had been able to calm his son down earlier and his thoughts immediately afterwards. But now, they seemed to be holding themselves apart like they were just friends. She didn't seem to be as shocked about the story of Broly, or the fact that Gohan had "blasted" a dome. She just watched the conversation, drinking in every word and watching every gesture with those bright blue eyes of hers. He quickly inspected her ki and was surprised to find the amount of energy at her disposal. Sure, she wasn't anywhere near the level of any of the Z fighters, but she certainly was way stronger than an average human. His thoughts were interrupted by the loudspeakers over their table, screeching with feedback and causing the Saiyans and Piccolo to clamp their hands down over their ears.

"_All adult contestants please report to the preliminary courtyard. All youth division contestants please report to the staging area for their fight assignments. Ladies and Gentlemen the tournament shall begin shortly. A reminder: No spectators are allowed in the preliminary courtyard until after the matches have been determined."_

An excited cheer went up all around the tournament complex and the fighters gathered in the waiting area began to make their way through the gates into the courtyard in question. The Z-fighters stood and began making their way towards the doors as well, waving their farewells to their friends and family who would be cheering from the stands. The three children had disappeared into the crowd as soon as the announcement came over the loudspeakers.

Gohan glanced at his father and locked eyes with him, and the two shared a serious look.

"Well son, shall we go do this?"

The tall demi nodded, immediately setting his eyes upon the tall pink form of Kibito parting the crowd before him as he entered the preliminary area. Goku traced his gaze and clapped his son on the shoulder, giving him a warm smile.

"Relax Gohan, and let's have some fun with this one huh? It's been nearly twenty years since my last tournament, and I get the feeling this is going to be a memorable one."

_Yea, the one where you disappear again right after it's over. Why do I get the feeling that something is going to go horribly wrong today? _

Gohan grunted and followed him in with Videl by his side, carefully watching the other contestants as they wandered in. The group gathered together in the middle of the large courtyard which hosted eight open rings in two rows on either side. A monk stepped up onto one of the rings and waved his hand in the air to get the attention of the huge crowd gathered before him, and spoke into a microphone.

"Good morning fighters, and welcome to the twenty-sixth world martial arts tournament! As many of you may have noticed, there are quite a few people who have entered this tournament today. Two hundred and sixty-three to be exact. Now, there are only sixteen slots open for the tournament itself, so we need to narrow down the competition by noon. Due to the large number of contestants this year, we have decided to alter the selection process to expedite the preliminaries."

He waved off in the direction of an open-staging area where three more monks were gathered around a large black weighted machine with a red bumper on it.

"First we will narrow down the competition with a strength contest. The top sixty-four scores will advance to the preliminary bracket to determine who will be fighting in the tournament."

The fighters all looked to the machine, and Krillin scratched his head with a confused expression.

"Strength contest? That's new."

Videl crossed her arms and glowered at the machine.

"My dad's idea no doubt. Raw strength has always been his go-to attribute, and he practically runs this show now."

Goku quirked an eyebrow, scratching at the back of his neck and considering her with a sideways glance.

"Sorry, but who's your father?"

She glared even harder at the machine, refusing to meet his gaze. Gohan noted the tension in her muscles and gently placed a hand on her shoulder, looking over her head at his father.

"It's okay Videl, he won't care."

She glanced out the corner of her eye at him and sighed. She straightened herself and took a deep breath.

"My father is Hercule Satan. That guy who -… fought cell before you? If you could call it fighting."

Goku blinked in surprise a couple times, searching her face for any resemblance.

"_You're _Hercule's Daughter? Wow, gotta say, you don't look anything like him! You're way stronger than him too, I can tell."

She smiled bashfully and reached up to grasp Gohan's hand that was still planted on her shoulder, returning her attention to the announcer. Again he wondered if they were mated, and subtly glanced at her neckline out the corner of his eye.

_Well I don't see a mark… They just seem that close though. I wonder if Chi Chi has picked up on this yet._

"Now if you would all please get in line to try your hand at the machine, we will begin! Please, as you go through, remember what number you are assigned when they call out your score! To give us a benchmark score, we invite the previous champion of the last two tournaments, and the savior of the world; Mr. Satan!"

The vast majority of the crowd broke out into cheers, excluding a small group of our favorite heroes, as Hercule strode over from a side-door that led to the private boxes overlooking the ring with a confident smirk on his face. He stepped up to the machine and faced the crowd, removing his cape and belt as he went. An assistant came to relieve him of the items and he scanned the faces in the crowd. His eyes met with Gohan's for a brief second, and Goku swore he saw the man cringe at the sight of his son. Without further ado, the fighter squared off against the machine, fist clenched at his side and a glare on his face. With a loud roar he lunged forward, driving his fist into the machine with a resounding thud.

"Wow, what a punch from the champ! And his score comes in at… One hundred and thirty-seven! A new record! Fighters; Hercule Satan!"

The crowd again broke into cheers, and the champ faced them with a hand on his hip and a victory sign held towards them. The monk strode over to stand next to him with a wide grin on his face.

"Champ, are there any words you want to say to the contestants before you return to the stands?"

Hercule furrowed his brow a moment, glancing nervously towards the tall demi-saiyan again.

"There are some big names here today, but I want you all to fight hard. I'll be waiting in the final match to face off against the winner, and to present them with the championship belt. Now let's have some clean fights, and all of you do your best!"

_Heh, don't know what you're asking for there Hercule. If I have to do my best, then there's something seriously wrong._

With that statement he strode off towards the door he emerged from to the applause of the crowd. Gohan snorted a little and crossed his arms, watching the man leave. Goku raised his eyebrow at the teen.

"I don't get it Gohan, why'd he look at you like that?"

"Oh nothing dad. I might have convinced him to not compete in this tournament."

Videl rolled her eyes and sighed, looking up at the elder Saiyan.

"What he means is that he literally scared the piss out of my dad by almost throwing him off the top of a sky-scraper. Long story…"

Goku laughed nervously, scratching at his neck and watching as the champ disappeared behind the door.

"Well, at least he's not showing off anymore. That was some pretty silly stuff he did last time I saw him."

Gohan merely snorted again and moved to get in line with the others, and the preliminaries began. Gohan watched from his spot, ignoring the babble of conversation going on around him, gauging the competition. The first dozen fighters or so were nothing particularly special, until one abnormally tall desert dweller stepped to the machine with a loud laugh and showing off his… blubber. Gohan deadpanned at the guy, glaring at him in disbelief.

_Sure Hercule might not do much of the show-boating much anymore but this guy isn't lacking in it… How do people even get that large? He's got to be nearly nine feet tall and half a ton._

The giant of a man slammed his open palm into the pad, and the numbers began flashing rapidly.

"And for number thirteen… One hundred and eleven!"

The giant man faced the crowd and threw his fists in the air with a loud yell before walking off to wait for the rest to go. The line began moving again, and none of the contestants were able to pass up the champ's score. A couple passed up the hundred mark, but none really stuck out from the rest. Gohan's attention to the others began to slip, and he focused his thoughts to the line behind him where he could sense the bizarre ki of Shin and Kibito.

About half the line made it through before the first Z-fighter stepped up to the machine in the form of Android 17. Krillin stepped out of the line and halted him before he could get too far.

"Hey 17, I think we should take it easy with the whole punching thing. We don't know how much that chunk of metal can handle… Not to mention the rest of these guys probably won't be able to handle it either."

The android smirked and glanced at the line behind the fighter.

"Hmph… fine."

He stepped directly in front of the machine and lazily threw his fist forward, shaking the machine violently and tipping it back on its legs, much to the shock of the monks monitoring it. The numbers flashed before settling on 734. Krillin slapped his forehead with his palm, grumbling. The android frowned and crossed his arms. The monk taking score pulled his glasses down to stare at it critically before smiling nervously towards him.

"Ummm I'm sorry sir, it appears the machine has had a malfunction. Would you mind trying again?"

17 rolled his eyes and held his hand out, knuckles towards the pad, and rapped on it sharply with the back of his fist. The numbers flashed for a moment before halting at 212. The android raised an eyebrow and glared at the monk, who just stared at the numbers dumbfounded.

"And n-number one thirty-two sc-cores t-two hundred and twelve…"

The android crossed his arms again and strode away from the machine, parting the crowd that stared at him incredulously. 18 tossed her hair over her shoulder and glared after him.

"Show off…"

The other Z-fighters followed him, starting with 18. Krillin, Piccolo and Tien took their turns shortly after. All of them were able to show a little more restraint, landing their punches at scores of just under 200. Silence hung over the courtyard as people watched the seemingly impossible strength of these strange people. As Tien marched off to join the others, Videl realized it was her turn to go. She gulped, wondering just how she was supposed to compete with even a normal fighter's strength with her small size. After all, even Gohan had told her that raw muscle power would not come easily to her, hence the change in fighting style. A firm hand on her shoulder interrupted her worries, and she looked up into those deep onyx eyes of his.

"Don't worry about this one Videl, you're definitely going to be fine. Just hit it like you mean it. Trust me, you'll surprise yourself."

Emboldened, she nodded, setting her brow and striding forward to stand in front of the machine. A light buzz of conversation rose out of the crowd, and she heard her name get thrown around a few times. She shut out the noise and settled into the stance that she had adjusted to so well, balancing her weight between her two feet. Her hand clenched into a fist at her waist, straining her fighting gloves. She gathered her strength and her energy. The flow of ki to her muscles happened without her really noticing it. With a sharp rotation of her hips, she threw her fist forward with the full weight of her body behind it, slamming into the pad with a sharp thud. The machine shifted back an inch or two and the numbers flashed rapidly.

"And miss Satan, number one thirty-seven scores… Three hundred and sixty-nine?!"

It became so silent that Videl wondered if perhaps she had gone deaf. She stared at the numbers for a moment before turning her shocked gaze towards the tall demi-saiyan watching her with a raised eyebrow. She could just imagine the smirk decorating his face behind that mask. She cleared her throat nervously and stood straight, turning on her heel and quickly walking towards the other z-fighters who had already gone, avoiding looking at the crowd of people watching as she passed.

"Pretty impressive Videl. You've been training with him for what… a month? You're definitely learning quicker than I did."

She glanced at Krillin, who was facing her with a broad grin on his face and hands on his hips. She gave him a weak smile and nodded, allowing his praise to stoke her ego a bit. She returned her eyes to the machine, where Gohan was now taking his place. He lazily backhanded the bag and strode over to them, not even looking at the number that flashed on the machine. He halted next to Videl and leaned in close to her, and she could tell he was still smirking at her behind that mask.

"Told you…"

She playfully stuck her tongue out at him and crossed her arms, and they turned to watch the rest of the tournament proceedings. Goku took his turn with the machine, tapping it lightly just like the others before him, and went to stand with the other Z-fighters. Vegeta took his place in front of the machine, glaring at it with barely contained frustration. Goku shuffled next to his son and quickly called out to him.

"Take it easy Vegeta, there are still some people who need to go after you!"

"Hmph fine Kakarot!"

He growled something at the monks on either side of the machine and threw his fist forward, crashing it into the machine and forcing it to skid backwards several feet. He stood there glowering at it as numbers flashed across it, ignoring the dumbstruck looks on everyone's faces around him. Goku covered his face in embarrassment, worriedly looking around him at the dumb-struck fighters around them.

"Vegeta! That's not taking it easy!"

"I didn't break it Kakarot. They can still have their fun with this petty piece of scrap metal."

The prince crossed his arms and turned to walk towards them, parting the crowd like a wedge. The announcer continued to stare at the machine as four figures danced across the readout, his mouth hanging wide open. As the dust kicked up by the skidding machine began to dissipate, the monk managed to get his jaw working again, mumbling to the crowd through the microphone.

"N-number… Number one forty… scores… Kami… it's over 9000..."

Vegeta halted in his tracks, his eyes staring off into nothing and a shocked expression on his face. Goku and Krillin blinked in surprise a couple times, looking at each other to make sure they had heard properly.

"Did… he just…?"

"I think he did…"

The two of them abruptly burst into laughter, earning quizzical looks from the rest of the gang and a stern glare from the prince of Saiyans. Gohan chuckled and shook his head, watching the two turtle students laugh til tears flowed from their eyes. Videl nudged him and indicated towards the pair, who were holding each other up as they laughed at the short man's now pink expression.

"Okay, I missed something. What was so funny about that?"

Gohan just chuckled and crossed his arms, staring down the fuming Saiyan to make it known he wouldn't allow any physical retaliation to his embarrassment.

"Long story..."

"Short version?"

"Hmmm… Suffice to say that those were Vegeta's exact words just before dad beat the crap out of him."

Still not understanding the joke, Videl just watched the two hysterical fighters as they slowly recovered from their amusement.

***A LITTLE WHILE LATER – COMPETITOR WAITING AREA***

"Well that wasn't any fun…"

Goku sighed despairingly and plopped himself down on a bench in the low-lit hallway outside of the preliminary courtyard and gazed up at the ceiling. Gohan stood across the hall from him, focusing at the ground hard. Things had progressed extremely fast after the initial strength contest, since many of the fighters dropped out after Vegeta's little episode. Some of the ones in line after them had still tried their hands on the machine, but none had really made a significant score. He had watched Shen and Kibito give their attempts, and was surprised when their scores came in just below that of the champ's, though neither of them seemed to really try. Gohan could have sworn they didn't actually contact the pad.

Then things progressed to the actual preliminary fights, resulting in Goku's current disappointment. None of the Z-fighters had been paired off against any good fighters, nor had the two mysterious figures of Shin and Kibito. Ultimately, all of the Z-fighters made it through to the tournament bracket, much to their surprise. None of them had expected to make it through the preliminaries without facing someone else from their group. Gohan couldn't help but think that somehow his father's "escorts" had a hand in events turning out as they did.

Something continued to pick at Gohan's nerves about the two of them as time progressed, and he wasn't the only one who seemed concerned. Piccolo was also lost in thought, and Gohan had a sneaking suspicion he was on the same page as the tall Namekian. The little bits that Gohan and Piccolo could see of their fights were uneventful and insignificant. Like the Z-fighters' fights, they only lasted a couple seconds either by ring-out or by their opponents surrendering. In the end, there were only five fighters who were not associated with the Z gang in some way or another. Of those five, the only one that managed to get the demi's attention was the behemoth of a man that had been showing off earlier. The large desert-dweller stood away from the rest of the fighters, grinning stupidly down at them like he had already won the tournament.

_As much as I want to see what Shin and Kibito are all about, I'd rather just beat the tar out of lard-ass there. Kami knows he needs an attitude adjustment._

"Hey Gohan, what's up? You're looking kinda out of it there bro."

Gohan emerged from his inner musings to consider his godfather, slightly surprised at his choice of words.

_It's been years since he last called me that. Not that it really matters…_

"Yea I'm fine Krillin, just have a lot on my mind. Don't you guys think it's odd that none of us had to fight each other? It's like we're being given this tournament, and I don't like it. Something feels wrong here."

He glanced over to the backs of the two fighters who were the source of his discomfort, a gesture that his father caught onto. The older Saiyan smiled at him in his usual care-free grin, stretching with his hands behind his head.

"Oh lighten up Gohan! I'm sure it was all just a coincidence, really. Besides, now the tournament will be a lot more interesting!"

Piccolo chose that moment to finally speak from his secluded spot slightly away from the others, his low voice rumbling out from him with dark undertones.

"No, I agree with Gohan here. Something isn't right. I can't put my finger on it, but there's something familiar about those two, and I'm not sure it's a good type of familiar. They're hiding something from us."

The rest of the Z-fighters turned their attention to the tall Namekian, and the air became filled with a tense silence. Goku recovered first, scratching at his head with a confused pout.

"Well I thought about that, but what's to hide? Even if they're real good, why wouldn't they have attacked already? And why would I have been sent back to find them? I'm sure that it was planned for me to enter the tournament here, but I can't figure out why. Does anyone know who the other fighters are? Maybe it's one of them?"

Their attention was cast upon the other fighters milling about in the waiting area. Besides the Arabian wind-bag, there were four fighters not known to the z-gang. Two were speaking together and casting nervous glances in the direction of the Saiyan Prince. One of them was a rather large dark skinned man wearing a black muscle shirt and camouflage bottoms with combat boots. The other was a shorter blonde pretty-boy wearing a traditional blue fighting uniform. Gohan checked their ki and noted that neither of them came close to even Videl's power, but were still high by human standards. The other two were a little more bizarre.

One was massive in stature, closely resembling Hans, the guy that Gohan had nearly killed for knocking Videl unconscious. The difference was that his brown hair was longer, falling down to his shoulders and framing his thinly bearded face, and that his bulging muscles were open to the air in his strong-man half leotard. The other man was significantly smaller, only standing at about chest height to his counterpart, and bare from the waist up. His was bald and clean shaven, in contrast to his partner. The two of them were extremely muscular, unusually pale, and disturbingly veiny. He noticed that both of them had what appeared to be a calligraphic "M" tattooed on their foreheads and were glaring at the two sources of his own suspicion with looks that could kill.

_It seems I'm not the only one who doesn't like Shin and Kibito… Wonder what their problem is._

Videl spoke up, gesturing towards the fighters in turn and speaking to them all in general.

"Well I only know four of these guys since they fought in previous tournaments. The black guy over there is Killa, a world class boxer and former military type. He made it to the semi-finals in the tournament five years ago when I was in the junior division. The blonde guy he's talking to is named Jewel. He's actually pretty good… He fought with my father in the finals last time. The tub of lard over there is Pintar, a semi-finalist of the last two tournaments, though the way he brags you'd think he owned the world. And… I don't know that guy right there but the other… Well I'm not entirely sure but I think that he's Spopovich… The big guy over there? Yea I'm sure of it now, that's him. He was knocked out early in the last tournament by my dad. He's definitely changed since then… Blech… Those two kinda give me the creeps."

Gohan narrowed his eyes at the two bizarre looking fighters, scoping out their ki.

_Well I suppose it's not impossible that they're who those two are after, but their ki is so weak. Spopovich is definitely the stronger of the two, but his power isn't even pushing Videl's level. No it can't be them; dad wouldn't have been brought back to deal with such a weak enemy. Though I wouldn't put it past the Kais to just toss him down here for a day as a form of punishment. Fucking gods of the universe…_

He glanced at his father, who was inspecting them for himself and seemingly coming to the same conclusion about the other competitors. Vegeta however, was the one to break the silence.

"Bah! Why does it matter, none of them are even worth the time! No, Kakarot, you're the only one I care about fighting here. You and I will settle this, and I will be on top!"

"Oh I don't think so Vegeta, I mean I have been training the whole time I've been dead you know."

"And you think I haven't? I'm the prince of all Saiyans! I have an inherent knowledge of battle that will give me the advantage even if you were still more powerful than me! A brain-damaged Saiyan like you should know already that you're out-matched!"

Gohan instantly felt his defensive side kick in, and he had to fight the urge to launch himself at the arrogant prince. He knew that the older fighter was trying to prove to himself he was better, but verbally degrading his father in front of him… Well it never sat well with the young demi when his father _wasn't _there to take it. He growled, tensing ever so slightly as he glared at the man, letting his voice to cut through the air dangerously.

"Vegeta…"

"Stay out of it brat! This is between your weakling father and me!"

"Why you arrogant little…!"

Gohan stepped away from the wall, his eyes glinting dangerously as he advanced on the prince. Goku stepped between the two of them, holding back his son and grinning nervously.

"Whoa! Whoa, Gohan take it easy! I can still handle my own fights you know… Vegeta, if you think you can beat me on skill alone… then let's make an agreement right now. While we're in the ring; no transforming okay? That way strength will play less of a role."

Gohan never took his eyes off the shorter man's, daring him to say anything else with his looks alone. The prince glared right back, clashing with the demi in a battle of wills. Vegeta lost, breaking the eye contact to glare at Goku instead.

"Fine Kakarot, you've got a deal. But only if the brat here stays in the base form as well."

_Okay fine Vegeta, you don't want me to go Super Saiyan three on you? No matter, I'll still kick your ass if we meet in the ring._

Goku raised his eyebrows, looking to his son for a response with bated breath. The demi took one look at his father and grunted his consent before turning and re-taking his place against the wall to glare at the backs of Shin and Kibito again. Goku grinned and held a thumb up towards the prince.

"Done! Man this is going to be exciting! But hey, when is the junior tournament starting? Didn't they say that they were going to be assigned fights here pretty soon?"

"Ah my good friend, the junior division will begin as soon as we assign you all fights! If you would all gather around please?"

The group turned their attention towards the source of the voice. The announcer had made his way in, followed by several monks, two of which were carrying a footlocker sized box between them with a large hole drilled in the top. The placed the box on top of a bench and the fighters gathered around it in a half circle. The announcer consulted his clipboard for a moment before smiling at the gathered competitors.

"Alright ladies and gentlemen, we've got our sixteen fighters! Now we just need to assign you all to a fight! As I call out your name, please come forward and draw a number from the box… Let's see… Killa!"

The large ebony skinned man grunted and stepped forward, heavy boots clunking on the tile floor as he went, and plunged his hand into the box. He shuffled around for a moment before withdrawing and holding up a bright green ball with a number plastered on it.

"Alright, Killa takes slot number eight!"

The man nodded, glancing at the other fighters quickly before making his way to his original place away from the group to wait for the rest of the assignments.

"Pintar!"

"Ah yes! The illustrious Pintar will draw now yes? Oh, I shall!"

Gohan snorted and glared at the back of the giant as he lumbered forward to shove his thick arm in the box.

_Whatever he gets, I hope I get in the ring with him. I really want to kick him down a few levels._

"Pintar takes slot number two in the first round!"

"Ah, of course we must start with the best! I feel sorry for whoever has to fight me first!"

With a high pitched giggle the giant waddled away to stand behind the group, watching them with a broad, arrogant grin.

"Ah! Here's one of the fighters I've been waiting for. Krillin, would you please take a number?"

The short fighter's face fell slightly, and Gohan's sharp hearing heard him grumble something about how he "always had to go first", and "never get any good draws". The tall demi smirked, amused at his godfathers discomfort as he drew his number.

"Well how about that, you are in the first round against Pintar!"

_Gah! Lucky…_

The short fighter sighed and grinned at the announcer, ignoring the scoffing of the giant who was offended to be fighting such a small fighter. The drawings proceeded quickly, with the numbers being relayed via radio to the tournament staff in the arena.

"Miss… number 18... is that your _real_ name?"

The blonde bombshell rolled her eyes and drew a number, holding it up for him to see.

"Not anymore... now I'm number twelve."

She turned, tossing the ball over her shoulder at the startled announcer, who watched after her for a moment before shaking his head and returning to the task at hand.

"Alrighty then, next is… huh… Number 17?"

"Yea, yea I'm coming."

He drew a number, quirking an eyebrow at the announcer before handing it over and striding away to join his sister.

"Ahem… Right, Number 17 takes slot number nine… Hmmm ah! Goku! You're next!"

The tall Saiyan gave his Son grin and practically skipped to the box, reaching in and shuffling around a bit with a concentrated glare at the cieling and his tongue sticking out the side of his mouth. Gohan watched him, amusement bubbling up in him at the sight of his father's slightly immature antics.

_Seven years dead, and despite all the things that have happened, he's still exactly the same… He's exactly how I remember him from all those years ago; still care free and able to inspire happiness just by being... him. Man I've missed that._

His momentary happiness was drowned quickly by regret and sorrow as he subtly reminded himself that he was the reason that happiness had been gone for the last seven years. He shook the thought from his head, determined not to let it get to him while his father was still there, and watched as the man pulled his number with a wide grin.

"Ah, you got number eleven! You'll be facing miss number 18 in your first fight!"

A short ways away, Gohan heard the Saiyan prince huff indignantly, and smirked.

_Well at least it won't be those two in the first round…_

"Next is… Vegeta… Aaaand you got number fifteen!"

The Saiyan prince crossed his arms and strode over to where Gohan had previously been rooted, glaring over at his father with barely contained frustration.

"Ummm next is… Ah! Another previous tournament fighter! Ma Junior!"

The tall Namekian brushed past the others and thrust his long arm in the box, and Gohan noticed he appeared to be slightly sweaty.

_Hmmm… What's eating you Piccolo?_

"And Ma Junior takes slot three!... Ummm Tien Shinhan! You're next"

The triclops confidently strode forward, earning wide-eyed stares from the human fighters who had heard of the previous champion. Tien pulled a number, and visibly paled with a scowl on his face, glancing over at the android twins nervously.

"Tien takes slot ten against number 17… Next we have Jewel!... who takes… Slot number six!"

The blonde nodded and strode past him, pausing momentarily to look over Videl with a suggestive twitch of the eyebrows. He flashed her a toothy smile and strutted away to join Killa in conversation again. Gohan clenched his fists and glared after him, suddenly hoping he wound up in the ring with him instead.

"Bardock! You're up!"

Gohan glared at the blonde a moment longer before striding forward and uncrossing his arms. He reached into the box and grabbed the first ball he touched, pulling it out and holding it towards the announcer. The blonde man took it, and Gohan strode away to lean against the wall opposite Vegeta.

"Bardock takes spot number thirteen! Next is… Miss Videl Satan."

As she strode towards the box, Gohan ran the current fights through his mind, taking inventory of the fighters who had yet to draw.

_Hmmm… most of the fights still only have one fighter, and… yup it's the four creepiest ones left. Well… Hopefully Videl at least gets paired up with someone she can take._

"And miss Videl takes slot number five, and will be fighting Jewel in her first match!"

Gohan smirked, knowing full well that Jewel wasn't a match for her in the least. He looked back at the remaining fighters, thinking quickly about who she would be fighting in the second round.

_Okay so it's going to either be Killa or… one of these guys. Well, I hope she doesn't wind up with Shin or Kibito, I still can't figure out how powerful they really are. Those other two don't seem to be any more powerful than her first opponent though._

"Next is Spopovich!"

The behemoth of a man growled, stiffly walking forward and squeezing his hand into the box. The announcer watched him struggle to get his grip on one of the balls, adjusting his sunglasses to look at him better.

"You've been hitting the weights huh buddy? Well, you've definitely made progress! It's good to see you back here."

The large man snarled and removed his hand from the box, holding a ball out to the announcer. He dropped it in his outstretched hand and went to sit where he had been before, clenching his hands with what appeared to be barely contained rage. His brown hair shaded his face, but Gohan could just barely hear the sound of teeth grating together emanating from him.

"Next is Yamu!"

Unlike his partner, Yamu calmly strode forward and easily plucked a ball from the box, handing it over to the announcer.

"And Yamu takes slot number… Fourteen! He'll be fighting against Bardock in the first round."

_Yamu huh?… I was hoping to face Shin or Kibito, but I suppose I can deal with that later. Let's see.. That just leaves Piccolo's and Vegeta's fights open._

"Ummm mister Shin?"

The short purple man seemingly glided over, his posture firm and held high like a kings. He reached in the box and quickly pulled a ball from the box, glancing over at the Z-fighters with that same smirk he had worn before.

"Shin takes spot number four, matching him up against Ma Junior in the second round. Which leaves mister Kibito with spot number sixteen against Vegeta! Fantastic! With that taken care of, we can officially start the tournament, and a bit ahead of schedule to boot! First we will have the junior division, which will be starting here in ten minutes or so! Just wait for the call, and I will see you all ring side alright?"

With a friendly smile and wave, he left the same way he came, trailing the monks and the box. The Z-fighters wasted no time, quickly gathering and leaving the dimly lit hall to rejoin the others in the arena. Videl led the way, pointing out places of interest on the way and conversing lightly with whoever happened to be near her. Gohan held back slightly from the rest, walking with his former mentor who was scowling even harder than normal and staring off into nothingness.

"What is it Piccolo? You're not nervous about that Shin guy are you?"

The namekian turned his eyes towards him, and Gohan had his answer even before his response came.

"Yes, Gohan, I am. Something about those two is driving me nuts, like I know exactly who they are but can't place it. Every time I get close, it's like it jumps just out of my reach."

"I hear ya Piccolo, but I don't think they can take you. And besides, if things get out of hand, I'll step in. That was the reason I came in the first place."

The Namekian considered his former pupil out of the corner of his eye and took a deep breath, forcing himself to calm.

"Yea I know Gohan, and I appreciate it. But I don't know if that's necessary."

They walked in silence for a moment, watching as Goku talked excitedly with Videl about something that was making her turn beet red. Gohan smirked, just trying to imagine what story his father was telling the girl.

"How are you holding up kid? I was worried for a while there that you would do something drastic when he came back."

Gohan furrowed his brow, averting his eyes from the orange clad figure of his father. In his peripherals, he could see Piccolo watching him with his scrutinizing glare.

"My instincts are telling me to run or fight Piccolo. Every time I see him, I want to panic and flee. I feel so wrong here with him, but I know that I can't just leave. I can't run from him like that. Just like with the twins, I have to be there for those who still need me."

The Namekian nodded, smirking at the boy and rubbing his jaw.

"At least this time you didn't take it out on my face. I'll be honest, I don't think I'd live through it if you did."

Gohan could feel his face getting hot with embarrassment as the memory of that particular event rose in his mind. Eager to change the subject, he cleared his throat, just as a loud cheer went up from the arena they were walking towards and a loud gong sounded over-head.

"Well, shall we? I wanna see which of the demon trio is going to come out on top."

"My bet's on Trunks. Sorry Gohan, but he's a year older than the twins."

"And? You've got me beat by more than that and I'd still whoop you all the way back to the lookout."

"Hmmm true. Fine, who do you think is going to win?"

Gohan smiled, running over the past years of training with the twins under his watchful eye. They were almost perfectly even in power, and both of them had a natural talent for fighting, despite the lack of a need for it in their case. On top of that, the both of them were way more powerful now than even he was at their age, probably rivaling his own strength when the androids first attacked. He often wondered why they were already so powerful, but always concluded it was the fact that they were constantly rough-housing.

But his little sister definitely had the advantage between the two of them. Goten was a brilliant fighter already, but his little sister inherited an intelligence that was unfortunately lacking in her twin. On top of that, while Goten was very difficult to upset, Ria had managed to get a tempter that rivaled her older brothers. There was no doubt in Gohans mind who would win if she was pushed to it.

"Well, unless Trunks has managed to go super-saiyan without our knowledge, I think that Ria is going to win."

"We'll see Gohan. Now come on, the others are waiting for us over there, and I'm sure Launch has cleared a spot for us."

_She seemed so nice though... how is she going to "clear a spot", being as gentle as she is?..._

**A/N: Okay, so there were quite a few changes no? Just wait, i'm just starting to get my pace for this one! Yes, I just stated that the twins and trunks are not super-saiyans yet in this story. The whole "hey ya, dad i'm a super-saiyan, sorry for not making it noticeable" way that Trunks and Goten did it was just... disappointing to me... Execution was amusing because of the reactions of Gohan and Vegeta, but not what that transformation should be like IMO... Anyways, see you guys next time!**

**P.S. Thanks to the anon review for pointing out my glitch with Yamu's number! It has been fixed!**


	22. Pint-Sized Surprise

**Hey all! Sorry I didn't get this one up earlier today/last night, but my internet access went out before I fell asleep so I had to wait and do it later! Anywhoo a lot of thinking went into this particular chapter. Might be a major plot point in here, might not be… You'll just have to wait and see now won't you! Thanks for all the reviews, keep them coming! If you see something I made a mistake in, feel free to let me know either in a review or via PM, and I'll correct it! **

**Anyways, on to the chapter! Focused on a different character this time! R&R and enjoy!**

**Chapter 22: Pint-Sized Surprise**

***IN THE ARENA READY-ROOM***

Ria leaned back on the bench the three of them were sharing, clutching onto the edge of it and swinging feet back and forth with a huge grin on her face. Next to her, her brother was wearing a similar expression and holding his knees to his chest, his dazed gaze staring of into nothing. The only one who wasn't pleased was the Lavender haired boy on the other side of Goten. All she knew is he kept grumbling about having to fight with "weakling little kids", but she didn't really care.

_My daddy is here, I finally got to meet him! This is just too awesome! Mom told us he died before we were born, but he's here! It's strange, he looks just like Gohan, but with funnier hair and… well no scars. And he looks so happy all the time! I wish Gohan would look like that sometimes too… I don't get why he's so sad all the time when he thinks I'm not looking._

Off to her left, she heard Trunks clear his throat and felt him nudge Goten.

"Hey Goten, your dad is fighting in the tournament today right? Do you think he and my dad will fight? Mom said they were rivals, and that your dad and the others had to team up to beat him up because dad was too strong."

"Really? I never heard that! Mom said that dad was the first super-saiyan, and that your dad has been trying to pass him up for years but can't do it!"

"Nuh-uh! My dad is the strongest in the world!"

Ria crossed her arms and huffed at the boy, catching both of their attention.

"Come on Trunks! We all know that Gohan is a lot stronger than your dad, and I bet our dad is even stronger than him! Dads are supposed to be stronger than their kids right? Why wouldn't he be?"

"But my dad can beat Gohan! I saw him do it!"

"Oh yea? You're making that up! Just like you've been making up how strong you really are. I bet I can beat you!"

The young lavender haired boy scoffed and glared at her incredulously, to which she just stuck her tongue out.

"No you can't Ria! You're just a girl! We all know that boys are stronger than girls!"

Ria glared at him, and she could feel her temper beginning to slip. How dare that little mini-prince insinuate that she was weak because she was a girl! She was about to give him a piece of her mind when she was rudely interrupted by a voice that drawled out a few feet away from them with a thick, nasally accent.

"Hey pip-squeak! Yea, you there with the purple hair! You're gonna be my first victim!"

The three demi-saiyans all turned their quizzical stares to the newcomer. He was quite a bit larger than them all, easily in his teenage years, and toting a truly horrendous blonde mullet. He was shirtless, showing off his lean, un-developed chest and arms. He was flanked by two cronies, both also shirtless and wearing similar gi pants with equally horrible hair-styles. Ria couldn't help herself, she felt a fit of giggles coming on and tried to suppress them with her hand somewhat successfully.

_What a dweeb! He thinks that he can beat trunks? Please! He might be a meanie like his dad but he's still way stronger than any of these guys!_

"Hey! What do you think you're laughing at there short stuff? You want a piece of this?"

The blonde punched his hand, clenching his fists and puffing himself up in an attempt to look bigger. His two friends glared at her, attempting to look tough with the way they hunched their shoulders. It looked so ridiculous that it sent her into a full-blown laughing fit. The blonde guy's face contorted into an enraged snarl and he began to advance on the girl, who merely cocked an eyebrow and continued to laugh, kicking her feet against the bench and holding her stomach.

"Stop laughing you twerp! I oughta smack some sense into you!"

Before he could even get within arms-reach of her, he was halted by the two tiny forms of Trunks and Goten, who were suddenly in front of him and glaring at him menacingly. Trunks bared his teeth at the teen, crossing his arms defiantly.

"Look motor-mouth, I don't know who you think you are, but you had best turn around and leave. You won't even get the chance to touch her."

The blonde pulled up short, blinking down at the lavender haired child before erupting into uproarious laughter with his two friends. The one to his right, wearing his light brown hair in a mullet like his friend, clapped him on the back and sneered down at the young demi-saiyans.

"Hey Idasa, I think that shorty here is trying to protect his little girlfriend! Maybe you ought to put a little fear in him for your match!"

Ria and Trunks both cringed, blushing furiously at the implication, albeit for different reasons.

_Protecting me? Trunks? I don't need protection! I can handle myself!_

_Girlfriend? EEW!_

"Hah! Maybe you're right little brother! 'Ey pip-squeak, how about it? You think you can take me on; the best junior fighter in Mr. Satan's gym?"

The three demi's watched him puzzled as he bounced from foot to foot, hands up in a boxing guard. The blond gave a quick laugh and threw his fist forward, halting it an inch from the lavender boy's face. Trunks rasied an eyebrow, glaring up at him with an exasperated expression. Idasa's confident smile faded slowly to be replaced by a confused grimace.

"What the hell, don't you flinch?"

Trunks smirked, sniffing irritably and narrowing his eyes at the teen.

"Nope. Now go away, before I make you."

Seeing the blonde's intent to retort, Ria quickly stepped in, hopping down from her perch on the bench to stand right behind the boys with her hands on their shoulders. She grinned sweetly up at the teen, catching him off guard.

"Be nice Trunks! You'll face him in the tournament right? He wouldn't want to get disqualified before the fights even start, now would he?"

The three offenders all blinked stupidly at her, taking a few seconds to comprehend what she was getting at. A moment passed before it clicked, and the teenager snorted, standing straight and crossing his arms.

"Right. I've got a tournament to win first. You're lucky your girlfriend was here to save you runt! Don't worry, you'll get yours in the ring, I promise you that."

With that statement he turned and walked between his to lackeys to the other side of the room. Ria watched him go with a smirk dancing on her lips, knowing full well what was going to happen in the ring. She noticed that Trunks was nervously glancing out the corner of his eyes at her with a slight blush on his face, and a jolt of realization shot through her.

_Oh, the girlfriend comment! Ha! That gives me an idea!_

"Oh Trunks… Thank you for protecting me from that big, bad teenager!"

She shuffled her feet with mock bashfulness, causing the Lavender haired boy to freeze, staring at her with pure fear etched across his face. Taking her chance, she quickly stepped close to him and planted a kiss directly on his cheek before turning and hopping back up on the bench with a devious grin. Trunks seemed very faint for a moment before his brain caught up with the rest of his body and his face flushed brick red.

"AAAAH! COOTIES!"

He rubbed furiously at his cheek, trying to rid himself of the "cooties" and running around in small circles while the Son twins watched. Ria was again doing her best to contain her laughter, while Goten wrinkled his nose in disgust, tongue sticking out of his head as he watched his friend fight his embarrassment.

"Eew… Cooties… What are cooties?"

Ria rolled her eyes, slightly put out by her twin's naivety. Just then the announcer's voice came over the speakers in the room, silencing the excited babble and catching all the kids' attention.

"_Alright! The adult division fights have been determined, so at this time would all junior division fighters please make their way to the ring so that we can begin._"

Ria hopped up excitedly and grabbed the boys by their gi tops, dragging them towards the exit to get in line with their competition.

"Let's go guys! It's time to go win this competition!"

***IN THE STANDS***

"Oh you've got to be kidding me…"

Gohan had re-joined the party at the mouth of the tunnel leading into the stadium which he noted was completely plugged with people. It was total chaos with everyone crammed into the little "alleys" between the seats bumping into each other without any real movement happening as everyone scrambled to get a good seat. Looking around quickly, he noted that there were several rows towards the front that were still open, but with the sea of noisy people between their group and the seats it seemed like the only way to get through would be to throw a ki-blast. He felt Lime grasp onto his arm as she looked around at the crowd anxiously.

"Okay, so how are we going to do this again? There's so many…"

"Heh. Lime honey, what you're about to see hasn't been seen at a world martial arts tournament in nearly twenty years."

The two teens turned their quizzical glare towards Bulma, who was grinning deviously. She crossed her arms and looked towards Tien and his wife. Tien's eyes widened at the sight of the blue haired genius and he gulped, glancing nervously at his currently blue-black haired wife who seemed momentarily oblivious to what was happening as she watched the crowds nervously.

"Bulma, you're not planning on…"

Launch started at the sound of her husband's voice, looking up at him curiously. She glanced between the two of them before realization seemed to hit her and she beamed at the blue-haired genius, speaking in her high-pitched girly voice.

"Oh don't worry about him Bulma! He forgets that she's not nearly as bad as she was back then. After all, she did get us quite a few drinks at that club on Halloween didn't she? Go ahead; I'm sure she'll sort out this problem."

_She? Who is "She"?_

Bulma grimaced and turned slightly red at the woman's words, and Tien quickly darted off to the side, dragging Chiaotzu with him to hide behind Goku. The tall Saiyan grinned nervously, but chose not to try and hide due to Chi Chi gripping his arm and holding him firmly in place.

"Please Launch, don't remind me of that night… Long Islands… Never again…"

She coughed, turning a slightly delicate shade of green before shaking her head and pulling out her purse. Launch joined her, clasping her hands in front of her and bouncing on the balls of her feet happily. Yamcha seemed to be as affected as Tien, and tried to hide himself behind Krillin. The short ex-monk protested profusely to being picked up and used as a shield, much to the amusement of android 18. Yamcha ignored his short friend's complaints and warily eyed the two women.

"Ummm Bulma are you sure this is a good idea? With the crowds…?"

"Duh, that's the point silly! Now Launch, just hold still a second."

Now Gohan was extremely confused. He glanced around to see several of the older Z-fighters either grinning confidently or cowering in fear behind those who didn't know what was about to happen. The rest all wore expressions that Gohan was sure to be decorating his own face.

_What in the world is she talking about? What's she about to do? And why the hell are those guys hiding? Even Piccolo seems a little bit nervous now!_

Bulma removed a fluffy looking feather from her purse, confusing Gohan even further. Before anyone could comment or question what was going on, she ran the feather once across the nostrils of the dark haired woman and took a step back. Launch's eyes squeezed shut and her face crinkled into a concentrated pout for a moment before...

"Ah… AH… AHHHHH-CHOOO!"

_What… The fuck just happened?!_

Before him stood Launch as he had seen her in many of the pictures from the old days at Capsule corps. Her hair had flashed blonde and her eyes a dark green from their usual dark blue. The woman's entire demeanor shifted in an instant, from her happy bounce and springy posture to a shoulder-width stance set firm like a fighters with hands on her hips. Her expression quickly shifted from her innocent and sweet smile to a truly dangerous looking smirk that somehow didn't take away from her natural beauty. Stunned didn't even come close to what he was feeling at the moment. She glanced around at their faces before halting suddenly on that of Goku's.

"Goku?! What the hell, I thought you were dead you rascal! Com'ere!"

_Whoa, even her voice changed!_

She quickly pulled him into a headlock and noogied him before he could resist her, earning a strangled yelp from the tall Saiyan.

"Whoa hey Launch chill with the hair will ya? Just 'cause I'm dead doesn't mean that doesn't still hurt!"

The blonde released him, allowing him to stand up straight before punching him on the arm and placing her hands on her hips. She hesitated for a moment, craning her neck up to look at him before glancing down at his feet and back up.

"You're taller than I remember… "

Goku chuckled nervously and scratched the back of his neck, looking towards Gohan with a knowing look.

"Well you kinda missed out on the last seventeen years while you were living in Chiaotzu's Empire, but I kept growing for a while after the tournament."

She crossed her arms and glowered up at him, mumbling about how he was more fun when he was short and not dead. Bulma cut in, nudging the blonde in the side and gesturing towards the crowd before them.

"Say Launch, you think you can do something about this?"

The blonde woman took one look at her surroundings and an evil sneer emerged on her lips. Gohan, who had just started to regain his wits after the sudden change, was plunged back into shock when the woman seemingly materialized a pair of pistols out of nowhere.

"Bulma, darlin', it would be my pleasure."

Gohan watched after her as she confidently marched towards the edge of the crowd, holding the pistols at the ready.

_Okay, okay so when she sneezes she changes… Wow she's got an _**actual** _double personality, with separate memories and all. I thought that she was just going through a phase in those old pictures! And where the hell did the pistols come from?! What is it with these damned women and their magic ability to pull weapons out of nowhere? Why can't I do that?! I'd still carry a sword…_

The blonde halted, extending her arms straight up and squeezing the trigger on both pistols, firing off a quick four round burst of lead that silenced the crowd as they cowered away from her.

"All right listen up! I want a path cleared right… _here_! All the way to the front row… Well what are you waiting for? Move!"

She released another burst of shots, and within seconds a path wide enough for all of them to pass through opened up, leading straight to the front row of seats. Gohan blinked in surprise at the speed with which she was able to control a crowd, and laughed. Most of the Z-fighters turned to him in surprise, and he locked eyes with his godmother, quirking an eyebrow at her.

"Why didn't you tell me she could do that?"

The bluenette just shrugged with an apologetic smile before the crackle of the loudspeakers caught their attention.

"_Alright! The adult division fights have been determined, so at this time would all junior division fighters please make their way to the ring so that we can begin._"

The Z-gang began making their way towards the seats conveniently vacated for them by the gun-wielding blonde at the announcement, leaving the stunned teens with the crowd in their wake. A pair of cops ran up to Gohan and Videl, the latter of which was still staring after the blonde woman in awe. The officers had pistols drawn and were scanning the crowd for the source of the gunshots they had responded to.

"Bardock! Videl! Who was shooting?"

Lime coughed nervously, recovering from her shock to take in the officers. She held up a hand to stall them and gestured for them to calm down.

"Officers please! It was just an old family friend; I assure you nobody was in danger!"

The officers lowered their weapons, looking quizzically between the teens before them and the tall super-hero.

"Ummm Bardock? This girl a friend of yours? You sure we shouldn't go detain the guy?"

Gohan laughed, crossing his arms in front of his chest and glaring down the officer with an amused expression visible in his eyes.

"Woman actually… And there's no snowball's chance in hell you're gonna arrest her. She's with me."

The cop who was speaking paled slightly, and cleared his throat while holstering his sidearm. His buddy didn't get the hint, instead looking at Videl incredulously.

"Miss Satan, you're okay with this? I mean, she discharged a weapon in a crowded public area!"

The raven-haired crime fighter rolled her eyes, patting Gohan on the shoulder and sighing heavily.

"Normally I'd agree with you, but Bardock hasn't failed me yet. Though it'd have been nice to know about her having a quirk like that _before _the fact! No, go ahead and go back to your post officer; we'll keep it in control in here."

The officer furrowed his brow, obviously not pleased with the answer, but didn't protest. He holstered his pistol and pushed through the crowd with his partner back out of sight. Gohan snorted, raising his eyebrows at her in mock surprise.

"Well look at that, miss does-everything-by-the-book letting a crazy woman with guns roam about in public? For shame…"

Videl glared at him, smacking him on the arm and eliciting a chuckle from her three friends. But she could only hold it for a second before her scowl slowly turned upside down. Giving up her battle with her amusement, she crossed her arms and chuckled.

"Just don't make me regret it. Now why don't you go find somewhere _private_ to change out of that and into normal clothes so you can sit with us and _not _get us any weird stares like at breakfast? You're supposed to be a badass vigilante not a family man when you're dressed like that."

Erasa started giggling, earning confused looks from the other teens.

"Oh come on Videl, you just had to say 'private' didn't you? We all had our suspicions, but now we _know_ you just wanna get him undressed! Not that I'd be complaining about that…"

"Erasa!"

Both raven haired teen's expressions changed to shock at the bubbly blonde's insinuation, and they began blushing furiously. Sharpener and Lime both broke into laughter at the looks on their faces, and Erasa smiled victoriously. Gohan glanced at the crime fighter and their eyes met for a brief moment. A jolt shot up his spine when he realized that, despite his current embarrassment, he wasn't opposed to the idea in the least, and she didn't seem to have any doubts buried in those cerulean eyes either.

_Well if she returns the favor… NOPE stop that! Don't think about that! Not right now!_

He nervously cleared his throat and began edging away to find himself a place to switch outfits without being noticed.

"I'll… Just be right back…"

"Take pictures!"

"ERASA!"

***IN THE ARENA***

Ria followed the chubby kid walking before her out towards the ring, her wide eyes darting everywhere to try and take it all in. This place was absolutely huge! Three sides of the arena were filled with stands that reached way up into the sky, making her feel slightly claustrophobic. A set of flood lights hung over the entire arena to be lit when it got dark, and the crowd was thundering down an insane amount of noise onto her sensitive half-saiyan ears. She winced and looked around at the crowd as she walked, searching for a familiar face. She felt a tap on her shoulder and turned to find Trunks pointing over towards their right.

"They're right there."

And there they were, indeed. Slightly separated from the rest of the crowd by a few seats at least on all sides, and Ria noticed that several of the people sitting closest to them were fearfully watching the mean looking blonde woman sitting in the front next to Tien.

"Hey Trunks? Who is that lady?"

The three children peered at her closely as they walked towards the raised arena. Goten however, was the first to make the connection.

"That's miss Launch! I'm sure of it, she looked like that in those pictures at your house Trunks!"

"Hmmm. Weird. Why is she blonde?"

The Son boy gasped and looked at Trunks with wide eyes.

"You don't think she's part Saiyan do you? I mean if her hair goes from dark to blonde…"

Ria rolled her eyes and chuckled.

"I think we'd have known if she was a Saiyan Goten, especially a super saiyan! Besides, she's too nice to be a Saiyan! Just look at Trunks' dad!"

"Hey! My dad's nice… Sorta…"

Their conversation was cut off as the made their way up the steps to the arena, lining up shoulder to shoulder and facing the crowd. Many of the children gathered were quaking at the roar of the gathered fans, letting their nerves get to them. Ria noticed that Goten was one of them, glancing around nervously with his hands clasped behind his back.

"_Alright people! Please welcome the junior division fighters for the 26__th__ world martial arts tournament! Unlike the adult tournament, there are no preliminaries! All thirty six of the young fighters you see here today will get a shot at the title of junior champion!"_

To her left she could hear Trunks grumbling about having to fight human children and how it wasn't fair.

_Don't worry Trunks, I'll give you a run for your money, just you watch! I'm gonna win that prize, and then I'll have all the toys I could ever want._

_ "In this competition today, we have a wide range of fighters from all across the world. Our youngest competitors today are none other than the children of the twenty-third world martial arts tournament's champion: Goku Son! They are twin brother and sister Goten and Ria Son!"_

The two Son children blushed and shuffled nervously, smiling bashfully towards the group of people cheering over the excited buzz of the crowd off to their right. Ria felt the urge to hide her face when she heard her mother screeching over the crowd in support of her and her brother.

_"And today's oldest competitor is fifteen year old Idasa from the Satan Dojo! Idasa and his younger brother Ikose competed in the regional junior tournament two months ago, and are expected to do well in this tournament today!"_

At the mention of their names, the tall blonde boy and the other who he had referred to as "little brother" earlier both raised their fists to the air, grinning confidently at the crowd as they were cheered on. Ria watched them, exasperated at their smug expressions as the glared around at the other junior fighters with challenge written in their eyes. Ikose, as she now knew him, locked eyes with her and sneered down at her from his place in line several feet away. He pointed at her and then gave her a thumbs-down gesture.

_HA! _That's _the guy I get to fight in my first round? And to think I was going to feel bad for accidentally hurting one of these kids._

_ "Now give it up for our junior division fighters! Fighters if you would, please make your way back to the staging area and await your turn? First up will be twelve year old Burt and thirteen year old Throw!"_

***IN THE STANDS***

Gohan settled himself into his seat next to Videl towards the back of the group, leaning back and crossing his arms. His grandfather waved at him cheerily, catching the attention of his mother and father, who sat directly in front of him.

"Oh Gohan! Good, I was wondering where you went! I'm glad you changed, you look so much more handsome in your gi than you do in that armor. Let's you show off that face of yours…"

Gohan glanced around nervously, making sure nobody was really paying attention before whispering harshly at her.

"Mom! Please try not to draw attention to it? What if someone connects the dots?"

Goku grinned at him with his usual care-free visage and waved off the question.

"Aww come on Gohan don't be so worried! No one will notice! Besides, the gi does suit you better! I like the new look; blue on red? I don't know why I never thought of that…"

He paused a moment, glancing at the girl next to him for a split second before smiling deviously in a very un-Goku-ish way.

"And I think your girlfriend agrees with your mother."

"Girlfriend?!"

His mother's shriek rang in his ears, and evidently those of his father's and Vegeta's as well with how they were covering them. He felt a sense of dread crash down on his mind, accompanied with a very deep-seated embarrassment that flooded his cheeks with heat.

"Oh kami, here we go…"

It was unavoidable now, his mother shot over the row of seats to envelop the girl into a back-breaking hug, scattering the other teens to the side as she babbled excitedly to her. Those who she had unintentionally shoved out of the way staggered back into their seats, blinking in surprise at the sudden outburst. Goku laughed nervously at the glare his son sent him while Chi Chi fussed over the girl. He smiled apologetically, obviously not realizing beforehand that his wife wasn't in on the secret.

Gohan rolled his eyes, willing himself to sink into the floor to avoid the teasing he was sure to receive from the other Z-fighters, especially Yamcha and Krillin. Despite their knowledge of his delicate state of mind, they had always found a way to tease him about girls, and now that there was even a suggestion of a relationship between him and Videl… He decided he would rather not think about it.

She started ranting incoherently, and Gohan vaguely caught the words "wedding", "dress", and of course, "Children". Videl seemed to not catch a word of it, too stunned to even react. Goku attempted to come to the rescue, accurately guessing where his wife was going with her babbling.

"Hey hun? Cut her some slack would you? I don't even know if she _is_ his girlfriend, I was just teasing!"

The Son matron's mood shifted immediately.

_**CLANG!**_

She was suddenly standing above her husband, pan in hand and glaring at him with her teeth bared. Goku rubbed the back of his head, smiling apologetically up at her. The others could only observe the woman's sudden mood-change with fear etched on their features under threat of the infamous pan.

_Seriously… Where does she hide that thing?!_

"Chi Chi, hun, the first fight is about to start…"

The Son matron blinked a couple times, looking up towards the ring where the two children who had been called out were facing off against each other. Yet again her mood flipped completely, and she was again planted firmly in her seat and clutching onto her husband's arm as she watched the ring with rapt attention.

"My babies are gonna be out there! Oh how exciting! It'll be just like old times!"

The z-gang let out a collective sigh, glad that the unpredictable mood-swings of the woman had passed without too much damage being done. Gohan nervously nudged Videl, silently asking if she was alright with his questioning eyes. Still obviously shaken, the girl nodded her head and managed to mumble out one word: "Crazy."

With that out of the way, Gohan chuckled nervously and set to watching the tournament. The first two fights were beyond boring for the z-fighters. It wasn't that the junior competitors were bad fighters, after all it was a word class junior championship, but compared to what they were capable of the kids were just slow. Neither of the fights lasted much longer than a minute before one or the other was panting with exhaustion and fell to the other by ring-out or knock-out.

_"And Koryuu wins by pushing Mooki out of the ring! Up next we have a match between eight year old Trunks, and fifteen year old Idasa! Fighters!"_

Gohan fixed his sights on the young lavender haired boy emerging from the ready-room, walking next to a skinny looking teenager with a mullet. Sighing in resignation, he propped his head up on his hand.

_Don't do anything drastic Trunks._

***BACK IN THE WAITING ROOM***

Ria peeked around the side of the wooden board blocking the view of the ring from the doorway, watching her friend as he entered the ring. She already knew what was going to happen, but wanted to watch all the same just to see the tall jerk get brought down off his high horse. Next to her, Goten watched him with wide eyes.

"Hey Ria, how long do you think that Idasa guy is going to last?"

"Hmmm… Ten seconds?"

"That long?"

An apprehensive silence settled between the two of them as Trunks stared up at the tall teen, not even getting into a fighting stance. The announcer called out the start of the match, and for a moment nothing seemed to happen. Idasa appeared to be taunting him for a moment before Trunks decided he'd heard enough. The crowd erupted in cheers as the small boy kicked Idasa's legs out from under him and followed up with another kick that sent the teen flying into the air several feet before crashing back to the ring face-first.

_"Wow what a combo! And Idasa is down! One… Two… Three…"_

Trunks turned and began walking out of the ring, leaving just as the announcer called out his victory to the crowd. The two Son twins beamed at each other, returning to their spots on the bench where they had been before.

"So Goten, if you win, what are you going to do with the money?"

"Uhhh I dunno really. What would you do with it?"

"Probably buy toys I guess… Though didn't Videl say that she was trying to get some money so she could live on her own? Maybe I'll give some to her, since she won't be able to beat any of the grown-ups?"

Her twin pouted, frowning at the ground with a confused expression.

"Why would she want to go live live on her own? That's got to be boring!"

"I dunno, something about her dad if I remember right. Her dad has lots of money but she doesn't want his, she wants her own I guess…"

Goten seemed thoughtful for a moment before perking up and grinning at her.

"She and Gohan are close friends right? Why doesn't she live with us?"

"Goten you can be so naive sometimes you know that? Why do you think Lime never lived with us? That's what grown-ups do when they're like Bulma and Vegeta! Gohan and Videl aren't like that, they're just friends."

Trunks arrived at that moment, catching the end of her statement and giving her a quizzical look.

"But mom said that Videl and Gohan were gonna get married one day, I heard her and dad talking about it a while ago. Well, dad said 'mated', but that's what he means right?"

Ria considered him for a moment, blinking in surprise at his words. A silence settled over them as she considered what he had said. Goten and Trunks picked up a conversation about what toys they would buy, or in Trunks' case, what "big kid toys" he was going to get since he already had every "kids" toy. Her earlier irritation came forth at his apparent confidence that she wasn't even a threat to him winning the title, and neither was her twin.

Goten was called forth to fight one fight later, and Ria was surprised to find he was matched up against Idasa's other crony, who was named Reece. Already knowing full well what was going to happen, Ria and Trunks opted to stay seated until the match was over. Many of the other kids in the room rushed for a window to watch the "Little kid" fight one of the older students from the Satan Dojo. One of the older kids called out to her, looking at her expectantly.

"Hey there, Ria was it? Aren't you gonna watch your brother fight?"

"Oh I don't need to! He's going to win, just watch."  
The confused kid blinked at her a few times before returning his attention out the window at the ring. True to her word, she heard the sound of the match starting, a sudden stunned silence, and then uproarious cheering from outside. She smirked, rocking back and forth on the bench and swinging her legs as her twin reappeared with a disappointed pout on his face. He joined them, sitting heavily on the bench and pouting at the ground.

"That wasn't any fun… These guys are a lot weaker than I thought they would be. I blocked his punch with one finger, and I only hit him once! Trunks maybe we should have gotten into the adult division like you said."

"I told you…"

Ria sighed exasperatedly, glaring up at the ceiling and again shooting down any plans the two of them could come up with.

"Guys I know none of these kids is going to be a challenge to us, but how do you propose getting into the adult fight without getting in some serious trouble? Besides, the fighters have already been selected remember? They announced it before we went out there."

The two boys couldn't think of any way around that situation, and sighed in defeat. Several rounds passed, with the three of them sitting in silence as the fights outside crawled by. Ria glanced at the junior bracket posted on the board, noting that they were going out of order from the way it was laid out there. The only way for Goten and Trunks to fight each other was during the semi-final match, which left the entire other half of the bracket to her.

_Well I suppose one of us had to get stuck on our own… Oh well, at least I know I'll be in the finals! I wonder which one I'll be fighting…_

_ "Alright fans, time for our next match! We have Seven year old Ria up against fourteen year old Ikose! Would the fighters please make their way to the ring?"_

"Good luck sis!"

"Heh. You'll need it girl!"

Ria hopped up, irritably brushing aside Trunk's snide remark and began making her way towards the ring, trailing the brunette mullet-head she had seen earlier. They made it to the ring, and Ria adjusted the fighting kimono modeled after her mother's from the time she had competed. The announcer beamed at the two of them before turning to the crowd, and Ikose sneered down at her with hands on his hips.

_"Alright fighting fans, here we go with the final match of the first round of fights for the junior division! Ria Son, the daughter of Goku and Chi Chi son, who were both competitors of the twenty-third tournament, versus Ikose. Ikose's brother has already been eliminated from the tournament! Can the Son girl finish what's been started, or will the Satan Dojo have a fighter come out on top? Let's find out… Fighters… Begin!"_

Ikose immediately settled into a stance, sneering confidently down at the Son girl, who stepped forward into a stance that Gohan had taught her over the years of training.

"You know, normally I wouldn't hit girls, but I think I can make an exception for you, you little runt! Your friend got lucky with my brother, but I won't take it so easy on you. Don't worry girly, I'll take you down easy so you don't hurt your nails. HAHA!"

Ria glared at him, baring her teeth and breathing heavily. She growled at the teen and shot forward, not even allowing him to make his move, and whipped her open palm around sharply across his cheek with a resounding smack. The sound seemingly echoed through the arena, silencing the crowd and earning a collective wince from everyone present. She grabbed his mullet before he could fly out of the ring, holding the dazed teen partially up by his hair and glaring at him with fire in her eyes.

"Why do you boys always make fun of me for being a girl?! I can fight just as well as any of you jerks!"

Ikose couldn't respond, only moaning with his eyes rolling around in his head as he tried to recover from the sharp slap she had dealt him. The girl huffed and let go of his head, allowing him to fall the rest of the way to the ground before unceremoniously kicking him out of the ring.

_"Ouch! That has _got _to hurt! Watch out boys, our only girl competitor certainly has a powerful arm on her! Ria wins by combination knock-out and ring-out!"_

_ Ugh! I hate being a girl sometimes! I swear, nobody respects you unless you beat them senseless, and even then they don't get the hint half the time!_

She huffed and crossed her arms, glowering at the ground as she walked quickly down the steps and back towards the waiting room, grumbling the whole way. She rejoined her brother, who grinned at her in his usual care-free manner, and Trunks, who she glared at pointedly.

"See, didn't need any luck _Trunks_!"

"Whatever…"

The next few rounds went similarly to the first, with Trunks and Goten easily blowing through the competition. Ria was going through it just as easily, but felt her already short temper growing even thinner with every match. It was true, she was the only girl in the junior tournament, but was it absolutely necessary for _every _boy to want to "take it easy" on her because of it? The worst part was Trunks' constant teasing after each of her matches, where he'd spout similar comments as he had before her first match.

_He's supposed to be my friend and stick up for me! Why does he have to be such a jerk? He was sticking up for me earlier when that Idasa guy was gonna try and hit me... Not that I would let him, but still!... Why can't he just do that normally? And Goten hasn't said anything at all!_

She had elected to stay away from the boys after her last match, leaving her brother to look after her curiously, obviously not understanding why she was so upset. She glanced at the board and was slightly startled to see that it was already time for her brother and Trunks to have their fight, and that her side of the bracket was already completed. She was already in the finals, now she just needed to find out who she would be up against.

_"Alright fans! Now it's time for our second semi-final match between seven year old Goten and eight year old Trunks!"_

The two demi-saiyans stood and strode past her out to the arena, and she pointedly avoided looking at them. Goten pouted but kept walking, knowing well enough when to not test his sister. Ria sighed a moment after they left and made her way to the window to watch the match. In spite of her irritation, she still wanted to see how well her brother did.

_"Now these two boys are close friends outside of the tournament, but unfortunately only one can advance to the final round to face off against Ria. Will it be her twin brother, Goten? Or will it be their equally talented friend, Trunks? We will soon find out! Fighters, begin when you are ready!"_

The two boys squared off, settling into their usual stances. They had sparred regularly, often with Ria in the mix, but never had it been for anything besides their amusement. Now, both of their faces were set into a determined glare as they stared each other down, waiting for the other to make the first move. A calm settled over the arena as the crowd waited with bated breath for the tiny titans to begin. Goten broke the calm, shattering it with a yell as he darted forward, throwing a punch towards Trunks' face. The lavender haired boy ducked beneath it, swinging his leg around to sweep his friend's leg out from under him, only to find said leg had followed him and was well on it's way to colliding with his skull. He blocked it and pushed off from it, sending the Son boy skidding backwards and shooting after him.

The crowd was stunned into silence. Sure, they had seen the two of them plowing through the competition like it was nothing, but the level of speed and agility they were displaying right now was beyond their comprehension. Even the Z-fighters, bar Gohan and Vegeta, seemed surprised at the level with which they traded blows. Goku was gripping the seat in front of him, watching his son with a wide smile on his face.

"Wow, they're really powerful… I mean _really _powerful!"

Videl, who had never actually seen the twins spar while training with Gohan, was openly staring at the two of them going at it, her mouth hanging open slightly.

"Yea… No kidding…"

The fight generally began to pick up momentum along with the cheering, until only those trained to follow the fights with their ki instead of their eyes were able to follow their every move. For a minute the two continued to trade blows, until Goten accidentally set himself off balance and Trunks kicked him in the gut, sending him careening out of the ring. The crowd collectively gasped, expecting the fight to end there, but Goten threw his ki backwards, halting himself in mid-air. Trunks' confident smirk fell off his face and he glared at the Son twin, who chuckled and flew back into the ring. The crowd suddenly broke into cheers, and the two of them continued their fight.

_"Oh my… It's been many years since I've said this folks, but it appears that our contestants are capable of flight! I haven't seen anything like this since the twenty-third!"_

Their fight took to the air suddenly, sending shock waves through the crowd as they watched. Now, even Gohan was watching in awe at the progress the two boys had made. They were very close to evenly matched in skill, but it appeared that Trunks had a slight advantage in strength. He blocked a sloppily thrown punch from Goten and spun his leg over-head to contact the boy in the skull, sending him plummeting to the ring below. He caught himself and landed on his hands and feet, looking up just in time to see Trunks darting down towards him with a leg already extended in a kick.

"WHOA!"

He jumped forward, barely avoiding the aerial attack and unintentionally sending himself staggering forward as he tried to regain his footing. Trunks capitalized on his mistake, spinning and throwing his arm forward simultaneously. A pale yellow ki blast erupted from his hand, careening towards the Son boy, much to the surprise of all watching. Goten barely had time to register the blast before it hit him in the back, sending him shooting out of the ring towards the stands, trailing smoke from his singed gi. Ria watched irritably as her brother fought to control his momentum, slowing himself until he finally stopped with a painful slowness…

With his feet against the stands, outside the ring.

_Oh that cheater!_

"Aww man!"

_"And Goten has, unfortunately, landed outside of the ring! Trunks is the winner, and will be advancing to the finals! Ladies and gentlemen, we will take a five minute break before the last match!"_

Amidst the annoyingly loud cheers of the crowd, Goten clambered back over the wall and marched back towards the ring with a disappointed frown on his face. Trunks scratched his cheek nervously, watching as his best friend advanced on him.

"Trunks! That wasn't very nice, you cheated! We all agreed 'no ki blasts' before we even got here!"

"Sorry Goten, it was a reflex! I saw an opportunity and I took it! I'll make it up to you, I promise!"

Goten pouted and crossed his arms, glaring at the lavender haired boy at the edge of the ring.

"How are you going to do that? I was gonna win the prize money and be rich like you."

Trunks considered him for a moment, his expression thoughtful. He hesitated slightly before grinning at his friend and extending his hand towards the black-haired demi.

"Look, if I win I'll buy you ten of whatever toys you want! Will that work?"

The Son boy continued to glare for a moment, considering his friend with a critical eye. His face cracked into his normal broad grin, and he grasped onto Trunks' hand to be pulled back up into the ring.

"Okay. I can live with that!"

Together, the two of them made their way towards the waiting area, pausing at the entrance to get encircled by the excited group of junior fighters who were bombarding them with questions and praising their strength and speed. The two of them chuckled nervously, unsure what to do with all the attention. Ria took a deep breath, willing herself to stay calm.

_It's not their fault that the others are so amazed by that fight. They both went all-out… I'm just surprised that Trunks won. He might have cheated, but he had Goten against the wall the whole time… He's not that much better than him is he? I'll have to take him down fast…_

_ "Alright folks, with our intermission out of the way, would Ria and Trunks please make their way to the ring?"_

Ria unfolded her arms and marched past the group of junior fighters gathered at the entrance. She heard several murmurs behind concealing hands as some of the kids began questioning her ability to fight Trunks successfully. Her temper flared again, and she had to force herself to keep walking.

_What? I'm Goten's _twin sister_! We're as close power-wise as any two people can get without manipulating our ki, but I'm smarter! I bet it's the whole "_meh shes a girl bla bla bla"_ stuff! Jerks!_

She trailed Trunks slightly as she made her way out in front of the crowd, wrestling with her anger. She quickly mounted the steps and took her place in the ring, shaking out her short hair and tightening the sash on her kimono, composing her face into what she hoped was a neutral expression. Trunks took his place across from her, sneering confidently at her in a way that forcefully reminded her of Ikose's expression at the beginning of the tournament. She barely registered the announcer's speech as he gave them the go-ahead to begin the fight, and settled into her stance. Trunks did likewise, his smirk never leaving his face.

She growled and lunged forward, fueled by her anger at his arrogance, and began a barrage of quick strikes at the lavender-haired boy, testing his defenses. He blocked each one confidently, dancing backwards as she advanced at him.

_Alright there Trunksie, let's step it up a notch!_

She shifted tactics, changing her stance slightly and pushing more power into her attacks, staggering him back slightly with a particularly hard side-kick that connected with his gut. She smirked and settled herself back into a defensive stance, waiting for him to recover. He winced and smirked right back, rubbing his stomach.

"Pretty good… for a girl!"

"Shut up!"

She burst forward, completely disregarding her previous intention to allow him to make the next move, and began her attack anew. She threw punch after punch, failing to make contact once now. Trunks didn't even attempt to hit her back, instead just choosing to block or dodge. Her anger threatened to boil over now, every time she saw his arrogant face glaring back at her she felt herself slipping more and more into her rage.

"Fight back you jerk!"

Trunks appeared slightly taken aback by her outburst, and she finally connected an upper-cut with his jaw, sending him floating into the sky. She rushed forward, intent on meeting him when he came back down, but halted abruptly when he didn't. He just sat there, glaring down at her with a slightly upset grimace.

"But mom always told me not to hit girls…"

"GRRRRAH! I DON'T CARE! Fight me!"

Disregarding the burn that started to permeate her muscles, she took to the air after him, and began her attack anew. Her first two attacks went un-answered, meeting with his face and sternum without resistance, but on the third, he blocked her punch and responded with a side-kick that hit her in the ribs hard. She grunted, but took the hit without complaint, allowing the adrenaline flowing through her veins to block out the pain.

They were really going at it now, and Ria was pushing herself harder than she had ever fought before. The combination of her anger at Trunks and her desire to prove herself better in spite of being a girl sent her to new limits, and the both of them soon began showing the strain. They were both bruised, and she was bleeding from the corner of her mouth where the boy had driven his heel in a particularly hard spin-kick. Their uniforms were ruffled, though neither of them had torn anything as of yet, and ki blasts hadn't made an appearance yet. The cheers of the crowd were silent to her as blood pounded in her ears, making her all but blind to everything besides the boy before her.

A couple minutes of their hard fighting, and Ria felt herself beginning to tire rapidly. She fought to maintain her pace, but burned out quicker than she had ever anticipated. She made the mistake of dropping her left guard, and Trunks landed a hard hook that dazed her, sending her careening towards the ring. She recovered quickly, panting and bracing herself as she landed on her feet. Unable to hold herself up, she collapsed onto one knee, placing a hand on the ground for support and glaring at the boy as he descended to the ring as well. Just the slow way he did it hit her as taunting, and she gritted her teeth, her tunnel-vision beginning to close in tighter as she glared at him. He landed lightly and crossed his arms, smirking down at her yet again. She slammed her eyes shut, defeat welling up in her, refusing to look at those calm blue eyes of his or that arrogant expression of his.

Until he spoke…

"I told you Ria, you can't beat me! Boys are naturally stronger than girls!"

She completely lost it. All self-restraint she had left dropped away and she felt her rage boil over, shooting a jolt through her mind and burning through her blood. Her saiyan side kicked in, and she felt nothing but the desire to make him hurt for the mental anguish he was causing her. She clenched her fists tight, pounding one into the tile and sending dust flying up around her as her breath became shallow and ragged.

"You... Stupid… JERK!"

She staggered to her feet as she seethed at him before throwing her head back and letting loose a scream to the sky.

***IN THE STANDS***

_ Come on Ria… You can do it… You can beat him, just don't give up!  
_

Gohan clutched the back of the seat in front of him, watching his little sister as she struggled to remain upright in the ring below. Trunks had just floated down to meet her in the ring, and Gohan had to admit he was surprised with how tough the mini-prince was. He knew full well the extent of the powers that the two of his siblings possessed, but Trunks met them all head-on, demonstrating an endurance he had not anticipated from the demi. Ria had certainly had him when it came to skill, landing far more than she received, but he just weathered it so well. And now he was _taunting _her.

There was no doubt in his mind that that's what was happening. But it was short-lived. He felt his sister's ki spike dangerously, once – She pounded a fist into the tile floor of the ring, sending a plume of dust up from the now shattered floor and staggering Trunks slightly – Twice – she yelled something at the other demi-saiyan, slowly staggering to her feet while the dust she had kicked up began swirling around her – and on the third time she screamed, standing straight and throwing her arms out to the side. Her messy black hair floated upwards strand by strand, seemingly in slow motion, and sparks of gold shot through them, changing the midnight black locks blonde in bursts. Her ki skyrocketed, leaving Trunk's weakened one far behind, and her hair stood in an almost lazy fashion, holding their glowing gold color as a bright golden aura burst up around her.

The audience went completely silent, including the z-fighters. The first female human-saiyan hybrid returned her gaze to the lavender-haired boy before her, fists still clenched at her sides. Trunks visibly gulped, taking a hesitant step back from the girl, but Gohan only had eyes for his sister.

_Holy shit! She really just transformed! No way!_

"A… female… s-super saiyan…"

Gohan cast his dumbstruck gaze towards Vegeta, whose shocked mutter settled in his mind, confirming what his eyes were seeing. In spite of his state of shock, he smiled and returned his eyes to the girl, pride welling up in his chest.

_A female super saiyan… My sister is the first! And… wow she's now taken my title of youngest as well… Kami I can't believe it!_

***BACK IN THE RING***

Ria wasn't sure what happened, all she knew is that now her muscles were responding, and her senses sharpened. She glared at Trunks, taking in his dumbfounded expression with no small amount of amusement. Deciding not to look a gift horse in the mouth, she took advantage of his surprise to lunge forward and drive her fist into his gut, doubling him over as the wind was knocked out of him. She quickly grabbed onto his wrist and jumped over him, dragging him in a wide arc as she flipped and landed on her rear, using her heels to drive the boy face-first into the tile with a loud thud. She locked her legs over the top of his shoulder and pushed up on his arm in an arm-bar, causing the boy to cry out in pain. Twisting his wrist slightly in her grasp, she locked her muscles, snarling down at him as his fearful eyes stared back at her.

"Take it back Trunks! All of it!"

Trunks cringed as her grip on his wrist tightened, and he squirmed against her, desperate to get out of her hold.

"Trunks! Say it!"

"N- AAAHH! F-fine! I'm sorry! I'm sorry!"

His legs were kicking against the tiles now in a futile attempt to weasel his way out. He pushed with his free hand, only to find that it hurt his shoulder more than just lying there and taking it.

"Sorry for what trunks…?"

"NNNGH! S-sorry… for saying you were weak! AAHH!"

Ria applied a little more pressure with her hands, pushing his arm back until she could feel the strain becoming dangerously tight.

"And…?"

"I give! I give!"

She released his hand and rolled backwards, flipping herself up onto her feet with her hands and grinning down at the panting boy.

"See, I win!"

Cheers erupted all around her, crashing down on her sensitive ears all at once. She jumped, suddenly remembering that she was in the middle of a public setting. As quickly as it had come, the energy that had flooded her senses dissipated, and she felt light-headedness come over her. Her lungs suddenly seemed like they weren't holding enough air and she collapsed onto her rear as exhaustion set in.

"What in the world?..."

She held herself propped up on her hands, blinking away the dizziness that threatened to overwhelm her. Trunks was shakily pushing himself up, looking at her with pure awe. She panted, ignoring the excited yells of the announcer as he proclaimed her victory, and focused on him with a confused expression. Worry welled up in her as she remembered what exactly she had done to him.

"What? You're not hurt are you?"

Trunks managed to roll himself over into a sitting position, and he weakly smiled at her.

"Well, no not really… Just my pride."

"Haha, sorry trunks but it had to be done!"

His smile faded and he stared at her with awe again, making her slightly nervous.

"Ummm Trunks?"

"What was it like? How'd you do it?"

She was slightly taken aback, and blinked at him a few times, trying to understand what he was asking. How was _what_? Trunks awe gave way to open skepticism.

"Oh come on Ria, don't tell me you don't realize what you just did?"

"Ummm… No… What did I do?'

"Super-saiyan of course!"

Her mind numbed as the words washed over her. She could only stare at him blankly until she was abruptly brought out of her shock by the form of Goten, who tackled her excitedly.

"Ria Ria Ria you did it you won! I-can't-believe-it-you-went-super-you-gotta-show-me-how-to-do-that-it-was-so-cool!"

Still barely registering what had just transpired, she stared off into nothingness, running it over in her mind.

"S-super…"

**A/N: HAHA who saw that one coming? Yes, I did say that I didn't agree with the kids being super-saiyan so early in the anime, but only because they didn't have a reason to, and because it was such a down-played transformation for them! Some of you may think that my reason for Ria transforming is weak, but never under-estimate the power of bottled up emotions when it comes to the female species (yea I said species!), even more so if they have saiyan blood and a short fuse. More to come later! Stay tuned!**


	23. Ghosts from the Past

**Well guys, unfortunately things are going to slow down update-wise for the next month or so while I make my transition of moving back home. Rest assured, I have not abandoned you all! Anyways, this chapter is more of a filler than anything while I work out the next couple chapters (funny thing I wrote a large portion of them before I did this one). Not to say it's not important, there's always something of importance in my work, no matter how insignificant it may seem at the time. I'm loving the reviews, keep them coming! Seriously you guys are the reason that I am so passionate about this story, and I take your words to heart. R&R and enjoy!**

**Chapter 23: Ghosts from the Past**

_"Ladies and gentlemen the junior champion of the twenty-sixth world martial arts tournament; Ria Son!"_

Ria nervously shuffled her feet, blushing at the uproarious cheering raining down on her from the crowd. It had taken her a few minutes to recover enough from the shock and exhaustion of transforming the first time, which the announcer was all too willing to give her. A few monks had come out onto the ring to clean up the two demi-saiyans, cleaning the blood from the side of Ria's face and checking them for additional injury. Even the incessant babbling of her twin couldn't bring her down off of the high that had come immediately after the shock of learning what she had accomplished. The only thing that was bugging her now was…

_How did I do it? I didn't even know that I transformed until after I already turned back normal! I wasn't even trying to go super!_

She halted her thoughts at the sight of her family, now no longer in the stands with the others, but congregating by the entrance to the waiting area. Happiness bubbled up in her at the sight of her mother and father, clapping excitedly along with the crowd and beaming at her and the other two demis on the stage with her. But that bubble swelled and nearly exploded with happiness at the look her elder brother was giving her. She wasn't nearly as naïve as her twin, and knew that a lot of times the smile he wore was just a façade. But this was one of the rare times where she had absolutely no doubts that he was genuinely happy. Pride practically gushed from the eldest demi-saiyan, and the little girl's spirit soared. Her brother looked so happy, and it was _her _doing!

Just like before, she had the urge to run and jump into the welcoming embrace of her family, but held her ground as was requested of her by the announcer. She and Trunks were still awaiting their awards for the tournament, and though the fighters in the adult division had already been called to the waiting area, even her parents were asked to stay on the side-lines until the awards ceremony was complete. So she waited, grasping Gotens right hand with her left and standing next to a rather put-out looking Trunks.

_"And here today to give the junior champion and runner up their prizes, is none other than the world savior; Hercule Satan!"_

_ Awww do I have to get it from him? He's so goofy looking! And he looks like he smells too…_

As promised, the champ appeared, sending the crowd into an uproar of enthusiastic cheering. He brushed past her family, carefully staying out of the reach of her older brother, much to her amusement. He smartly marched towards the arena, standing straight and recomposing his frightened expression into one of calm confidence. He mounted the steps and grinned down at the both of them, extending his hand towards the announcer. The blonde man dropped the microphone in his outstretched hand and Hercule turned to the crowd, ushering in a silence as they waited excitedly for him to speak.

_"Ladies and Gentlemen, it is my pleasure to be here to award these two outstanding fighters for their performances today! I personally have not seen such a good fight in a junior division since my own daughter won the tournament five years ago! Fortunate for them, she's now old enough to be competing in the adult division! HAHAHA!"_

_ Oh come on! I love you and all Videl, but doesn't your dad realize that we're way beyond what you're capable of now, even more so than five years ago? I mean, you just learned about ki this month really!_

But the crowd ate up the words of the world champion, cheering ever more enthusiastically. The man smirked, nodding and pausing his speech to allow the cheer to die out. As the ruckus slowly faded, the man chuckled lightly, bringing the microphone back up.

_"But be that as it may, these two have fought well! Now, it is my pleasure as the guest of honor to present the champion; Ria, with a check for ten million Zeni, and the runner up; Trunks, with a check for five million! Gentlemen!"_

The crowd roared their approval, nearly deafening the three demi-saiyans. A monk brought forth a pair of obscenely huge white checks bearing the tournament logo in the background. He presented the first to Trunks, clapping the boy on the shoulder and nearly hiding him behind the large piece of cardboard. A slight pang of worry jolted through Ria's mind as she again noticed her friend's downcast expression.

_Why so glum Trunks? It's not like I totally beat you, I transformed… and you just got five million zeni richer…_

Resigning herself to talk to her friend about it later, she patiently waited as the big fighter beamed for a monk with an old-fashioned camera to take their picture. Slightly puzzled at their choice for hardware, she glanced around at where she knew there to be video cameras like the ones they used to film movies.

_Oh… what happened?_

The first one she saw was being fussed over by a pair of technicians, who were busy digging about the inner-workings of the machine. Several burnt out and discarded parts lay about the platform where they stood, momentarily confusing the Son girl. Her twin noticed her confused expression and traced her gaze before grinning at her.

"Oh yea, heh heh… When you transformed a lot of the cameras out there… uh… poofed?"

She cocked her head to the side, critically staring at her brother for his unusual choice of words.

"Poofed… You mean exploded?"

The boy pouted, furrowing his brow in concentration.

"No, they didn't really explode… They kinda just, started smoking and a couple people looked like they got zapped by that lightning you get from a doorknob when you're wearing socks! They just… poofed!"

Ria continued to stare at him a moment, mulling over his explanation in her mind before she figured out what he was referring to. She remembered watching Gohan work on something at Capsule Corp. with a green board with metal nubs all over it when he "Short circuited" it, as she recalled him saying. It smoked a little bit, and when he discarded the little green thing, it looked burnt. She didn't really understand what had happened, but she reasoned that it had been burned by something like ki since there was no obvious heat source. Glancing back at the camera crews, realization dawned on her and she felt a rather heavy amount of embarrassment settle on her.

_I guess I must have accidently burned those parts when I transformed… Oops!_

Just then, Hercule moved on from the lavender-haired boy and presented her with her check, which was so large she could barely see over the top of it when she held the bottom of it, even with her arms stretched out as far as they could go. Goten assisted her, holding one end of the large piece of cardboard so that she could step to the side of it and into the view of the camera. Hercule stood directly behind the check, placing a hand on the shoulders of the twins and giving a confident smile. Ria flinched at the sudden contact, but recovered quickly and gave a weak smile for the photographer.

_ "Now, ladies and gentlemen, with the junior competition completed, we will go on a twenty minute intermission! Please feel free to visit our food court, stop by the gift shop, and make any bathroom breaks before the start of the adult division! Our tournament will be started off with a surprise brought to you from the Waves and Rocks studios in East city, and then we will begin the fights! Today is going to be a doozie, with many of the competitors returning from a very long absence to test their skills in the ring once more!"_

As soon as the words left the announcer's mouth, Ria took off in the direction of her family with a huge grin on her face, dragging Goten along at the other end of the check still clutched in her arms. Gohan stepped out into the light as she approached, meeting her part-way and scooping her up into his arms. Immediately she released the cardboard check in her clutches and wrapped her tiny arms around his neck, letting all of her excitement burst forth.

"Gohan! I did it! I did it!"

"Yea squirt, you did."

His throaty chuckle vibrated through his chest and into her, tickling her slightly. He stooped, and she could feel him pick up her twin, who happily clung to his gi-front with his usual grin plastered on his face. Gohan hefted the two of them, cradling them each on one of his arms and strode back into the waiting area with them where their parents were patiently waiting for them.

No sooner had they made it through the doorway than Chi Chi immediately let go of her self-restraint and leapt forward to envelop all three of her children in a huge hug.

"Oh my babies! You did so well! I'm so proud of you!"

Gohan nervously shifted, blinking in surprise a couple times while the twins struggled to breathe being sandwiched between their mother and older brother.

"Ummm I havn't competed yet mom…"

"Ugh! Can't I be proud of you too? You trained them!"

Goku joined his family, beaming up at his oldest and gently prying his wife off of him so that he could relieve him of Goten's tiny form, still clutching the Check.

"Gotta say Gohan, you really did well with them. To be honest I don't think I could have taught them any better, just judging by their performance out there."

Ria noticed a change in Gohan's attitude, ever so slightly as their father praised him. His smile remained on his face, but his eyes lost a lot of the light that they had held moments before. One glance at her father and brother proved they didn't notice it, but she had learned to look for it. Gohan cleared his throat once, shifting his gaze down to meet hers.

"I dunno about that one dad. Goten and Ria are both naturally gifted when it comes to fighting. To be honest I didn't really do too much training with them until recently. I didn't want them to need to fight If I could do anything about it."

The words echoed in Ria's head, like she had heard them before, and for a short while everything tuned out as she concentrated on a random spot on his gi, trying to remember where she had heard that before. Her searching was interrupted however by a particularly harsh and gruff voice sounding off behind her.

"So. How did you do it brat?"

She jumped a little, craning her neck around to look down at Vegeta from her high vantage point in Gohan's grasp. His face was surprisingly neutral, and she noted that Trunks was standing by him with his arms clasped behind his back and his expression down-cast.

"How did I…?"

His expression remained neutral, but she noticed a slight flash of irritation cross his eyes.

"I've been training Trunks for years, trying to get him to transform. How did you transform? What caused it?"

_Good question, I'm still trying to figure it out too…_

"I don't really know Mr. Vegeta… I mean I was getting really mad at Trunks, but I was really tired too! I could barely move, and then he said I couldn't beat him because I'm a girl... And..."

She paused, furrowing her brow in concentration as she tried to understand what happened. She glanced up at Gohan and saw to her surprise that he was smirking, giving her a look that said he knew exactly what happened.

"Her temper snapped Vegeta, just like mine does when I get pushed too far. Remember, all three of these kids are at least as strong as I was when androids nineteen and twenty appeared. They have the power, the only thing missing is a trigger."

She returned her gaze to the short prince, who she was surprised to see was smirking as well, looking upon her with what she could only describe as pride. He shifted his gaze down to his son and crossed his arms.

"Well Trunks, what did you learn today?"

The boy shuffled his feet nervously, failing to raise his eyes to meet those of his father's.

"Not to drop my guard… and… I need to get stronger."

Ria felt a slight heat fill her face at his words.

"But Trunks, you're definitely stronger than I am, and I transformed! If I didn't then you would have won for sure."

"Well yea, but you did transform and you did win! I always thought I was going to be the first one to do it…"

"She's right son. No, the thing I want you to take away from this, and make sure you remember it because it may very well save your life later…"

He paused, still smirking down at his son. The Son family watched him quizzically, wondering what the Saiyan prince was getting at.

"...Whatever you do, _never_ piss off an earthling woman, _especially _if she has Saiyan blood. More often than not she will make your life miserable, or simply kill you."

Ria and Chi Chi both flushed, looking at each other for a moment as they realized how true his statement was. Besides Gohan, the only people that the Prince seemed to fear were Bulma and Chi Chi. Gohan started quaking slightly, and Ria looked up at him worriedly to see if he was alright, only to find him suppressing his laughter. He took one look at her blushed face and lost the fight, letting loose a hearty chuckle that vibrated her bones.

Her mother rolled her eyes, huffing and taking Ria from her son's arms as Goku, Goten, and Trunks joined in, either because of understanding or because the laughter was infectious. Bulma made her presence known as she grabbed her son's hand and smiled deviously at her husband, who suddenly seemed wary of the woman.

"Yes dear, but there are far worse things that can be done as well. Just think, that couch could get quite comfy out in the living room."

Vegeta immediately caught onto her implication and paled slightly. She leaned in and planted a kiss on his cheek, leaving him in his own personal world of imaginative horror and started to lead her son by the hand towards the exit with a warm smile to the others.

"Well good luck guys! We need to clear out of here now so you guys can prepare. We'll be in the stands rooting for you!"

Chi Chi quickly perked up, immediately forgetting her irritation and standing on her toes to peck her son on the cheek before quietly whispering in his ear.

"Gohan sweety, it might be a good idea to change back now."

He nodded, immediately glancing around for a secluded spot. His eyes halted on the forms of Shin and Kibito as they made their re-entry into his senses. His stomach jolted as he realized he had completely forgotten about the two of them in the excitement of his siblings' matches.

_Dammit! Who knows what they were up to when I wasn't looking?_

He was brought back to the now by his mother firmly squeezing his shoulder with her free hand and glaring at him worriedly.

"Gohan what is it?"

He tore his eyes from the two mysterious figures as they watched the family interact to meet her gaze. He put on what he hoped was a reassuring smile and ruffled his little sister's hair.

"Nothing mom, don't worry about it. You did well today squirt, I'm proud of you."

"Thanks Gohan! Good luck, I hope you win!"

He chuckled lightly, smoothing her hair out only to have it spring back up in the crazy nest it usually looked like.

"Thanks Ria, we'll all go out for dinner after the tournament okay?"

She grinned and nodded excitedly, and Gohan felt a tug on his hand. Looking down, Goten was staring up at him with a slightly upset expression that immediately hit Gohan straight in the heart.

"Hey big brother, will I be a super saiyan too? I wanna be like you and Ria."

Gohan knelt down before his little brother, looking him right in the eye with a warm smile on his face. He gently mock-punched the little boy's chin and spoke in low, gentle tones to him.

"Hey, you just keep at it there sport. Remember, you're already stronger than I was at your age. You'll get there, just don't try to rush it okay?"

The mini-Goku's face cracked into a wide smile and he nodded before lunging forward to hug his older brother. Gohan returned the hug, feeling a strange sensation pulling at his gut as he held the boy, and suddenly he didn't want to let go. He hesitated there, holding his brother, wondering what was causing the feeling. Dismissing it for him to think about later, he released his hold on the child, gesturing for him to go with their mother before standing and striding from the room with one last wave good-bye over his shoulder to find a place to change.

He rounded the corner of the building, and glanced around to make sure nobody was watching. He raised his wrist to chest height and brought his other hand up to press the buttons when he felt it again. He halted, furrowing his brow and examining the feeling in his gut. He wanted to call it dread, but it wasn't like any dread or worry he had felt before. Dread implied that there was something coming that would spell doom for him or someone he cared about, but there was nothing to his knowledge besides the departure of his father, which he was not inclined to think about. Whatever it was made no sense to him, and he shook his head to try and rid his thoughts of it. With a short grunt, he pressed the buttons, disappearing in a flash and reappearing wearing his armor and hood.

He returned to the waiting area just as Goku was saying farewell to his family. Chi Chi gave him a firm but quick kiss and then left with the children in tow, carrying the cardboard check under her arm. Still uncomfortable with the idea of speaking with his father at the moment, he took in the rest of the competition that was steadily trickling in. Piccolo was across the room from him, leaning against the wall with a firm scowl on his face. Gohan was about to make his way over when he was gently bumped by a small figure to his left. Without looking he knew it was Videl, and she seemed to be just as curious about the Namekian's demeanor as he was.

"Hey Gohan is he usually like that? I mean… all frowny?"

He quirked an eyebrow at her, giving her a sideways glance of skeptical amusement.

"Frowny?"

"Shut up, you know what I mean."

"Hmmm… Yea, but not this bad. Something is definitely bothering him, and I think I know what it is."

She looked up at him, piercing the side of his head with her sharp gaze.

"Mind letting me in?"

He shook his head, never tearing his eyes away from his former mentor.

"Not yet Videl, it might be nothing. There's no point in worrying you if he's just being paranoid."

"Hmph… You're one to talk about being paranoid."

"Just… Let me handle it okay? Whatever's going on, let me take care of it."

He could feel her glare burning into the side of his head, and heard the rustle of her clothing as she crossed her arms. He furrowed his brow and shifted his gaze to her, silently letting her know that she didn't have a say in the matter. They fought their silent battle, onyx and cerulean, until she relented, sighing and nodding her head in defeat. He took a step towards his mentor before her hand shot out and grabbed onto his arm, pulling him up short.

"But if shit hits the fan, you tell me okay? I may not be nearly as strong as you, but I can still help."

He tensed, wincing at her words. He knew he should have known better than to expect she would just leave it at that, it was in her nature to help others. After all, it was one of the things that attracted him to her. Knowing that she wouldn't take no for an answer, he simply nodded to her.

_I'll tell you if you want, but don't expect me to let you put yourself in any real danger. I just hope that whatever I'm feeling, and whatever Piccolo is feeling, is wrong._

She released his arm with a satisfied nod and watched after him for a moment as he strode towards his old master. Lost in thought for a moment, she didn't realize that her eyes had automatically gravitated towards his ass.

_Left. Right. Left. STOP IT BRAIN! God I need to stop hanging out with Lime and Erasa!_

'Or you could take their advice.'

_No, not yet. We agreed to go slow, and I don't want to accidentally push him away._

'But that butt!'

_Yea I know. Shut it!_

She shook her head of her less than appropriate thoughts and decided to try and speak with Android 17, who was standing apart from the rest of the Z-fighters and watching the crowd through one of the windows.

***ACROSS THE ROOM***

Piccolo concentrated hard. There was definitely something wrong with Shin and Kibito. Their energy was elusive, yet strangely familiar. The problem was identifying which side of him recognized the two strangers' ki. It was one of those rare moments that Piccolo had no clue what to do. Were they more easily recognized as evil or even as good beings, Piccolo would willingly do battle with them in the tournament. But something just felt wrong about that thought when he imagined fighting Shin.

_Dammit! Who are you?!_

"Piccolo."

The tall Namekian jumped a little, his eyes flying open and darting about looking for the source of the voice, and he was surprised to see Gohan standing next to him and looking at the duo in question. He almost laughed in relief.

"Oh it's just you kid."

"You alright? I usually can't sneak up on you like that."

Piccolo turned his gaze upon the short purple man, taking in every detail again in a vain attempt to recognize him. Turning his thoughts to his closest friend's question, he let his musings come forth. Had it been anyone but Gohan, he would have held his tongue, but the boy meant more to the Namekian than even he knew.

"No, I'm not. I can't figure out this Shin guy, though I'm positive I've seen him before. Or someone like him at least."

One glance at his former pupil confirmed that he too was highly suspicious of the duo, though he suspected for a different reason.

"Yea, something rubs me the wrong way about them too. Dad just happens to get sent back to find these two, but he's not told why and they won't say? I smell Kai meddling, and I don't like what it's suggesting."

_Ah, the truth comes out._

Knowing that they were now treading dangerous territory, and an extremely sensitive subject when it came to the demi-saiyan, Piccolo carefully chose his words.

"That's part of my worry as well Gohan, but I'm more concerned as to who this guys is. If whatever he's here for is vital enough to send Goku back to the living realm, then he must be someone of importance. It sounds like Goku got ordered here by the Kai's, so I don't know if this is their decision, or Shin's. If it's Shin's, then that begs the question, who is he really to be asking for Goku?"

"Hmm… that's a good point Piccolo, I hadn't really considered it to be anyone besides the Kais' doing. You don't suppose… He can't be a kai can he? You've seen one up close and personal right?"

Piccolo flinched slightly at the malice laced into his voice as he posed his question. If he were a Kai, the tall Namekian had absolutely no doubt that Gohan would probably take out seven years' worth of hatred and bottled up anger out on him. Inspecting the short man again however, and Piccolo felt somewhat assured he was right in his guess that he was not, in fact, a Kai.

"Yes that's right, the North Kai, or as the others call him; King Kai. We know there's a Kai above him and the other three, but I don't know what he looks like. I don't think Shin is a kai, he doesn't fit the profile. I could sense King Kai's ki in otherworld as well. No, I think he's something else entirely. His ki is so strange, I don't actually know what the extent of his strength is, and that's worrisome."

_But then what if the Grand Kai _is _different than the others? If that were the case then it would make sense for Shin to be the Grand Kai in disguise. Dammit, what do I do if he is?_

"Hmph… well there's a way to find out Piccolo."

Already knowing full well what the demi was going to suggest, Piccolo turned his eyes expectantly towards his former pupil. Gohan met his gaze, and the Namekian could feel the tension crackle around the young man in the intensity of his glare.

"Fight him. Put him through his paces, and let's see just what he's made of. I get the feeling he will show his true colors sooner or later."

"Yea, that's what I'm afraid of."

_I stood against Cell, and had less doubts than I do right now, and I know practically nothing about this Shin guy._

He returned Gohan's hard stare, having an unspoken conversation just as they had done for so long during the boys training prior to Cell. He felt some of his resolve return, taking heart in the fact that if things went wrong, his friend would be there in a flash.

"Alright Gohan, you got it. We'll get him to come clean."

_I just hope I'm right about him not being a kai._

_ "Ladies and Gentlemen, if you would please return to your seats, the tournament will begin soon! At this time, would Pintar and Krillin please make their way to the arena?"_

Gohan shifted slightly, still watching the two strangers. He uncrossed his arms and sighed, glancing over to where Krillin was attempting to get by the behemoth of a man who was his competition and out to the ring, which was made more difficult by the giant's shoving.

"Well, we'll just have to wait 'til it's our turn then wont we? C'mon let's go watch, I wanna see Krillin take this guy down."

***WITH SHIN AND KIBITO***

"They're getting close master. That Piccolo character, he was the guardian of this world was he not?"

Shin clasped his hands behind his back, staring out the window he and Kibito were standing before. His gaze wasn't locked onto anything in particular, absently taking in the crowd outside and the two fighters making their way to the ring. He could feel the nervousness radiating off his body-guard in sheets, and despite his calm demeanor, he too was slightly shaken.

"Yes Kibito, Piccolo was the guardian of Earth, or at least part of him was. Part of him recognizes who we are, at least to some extent. His thought process is… sound. He may figure me out."

"What do we do? Our plan requires that they help us. You're no longer as strong as you once were."

Shin closed his eyes, taking in a deep breath of the fresh Earth air, racking his brain for solutions. While it had its advantages, his ability to see into people's minds at will was something of a curse as well. He had been observing the Earth's fighters' thoughts, particularly those who were close friends and family of Goku's. Of those, none stunned him more than Goku's eldest son. If there was one thing he was sure of, it was that the boy was far beyond the level of mental trauma that he had expected.

"We continue with our plan. Those two, Spopovich and Yamu are obviously here on orders, we just need to make sure that nobody interferes. The biggest danger right now, besides the obvious, is Gohan."

"Hmmm yes he could be a problem. His… Attitude was not something that we had planned for. Such hatred for the Kai's…"

"What would you feel were you in his situation Kibito? To him, the Grand Kai stole his father from his life and forced him to face his demons for the last seven years. You stated it yourself my friend, we did resort to underhanded trickery to serve our purposes. For now we are fortunate he's only suspicious of us."

"And if he learns of your true identity?"

Shin opened his eyes and considered the tall Son boy out the corner of his eye, standing next to the short earth girl that had been with him before.

"He's unstable at best Kibito, I wouldn't be surprised if he tries to kill me if he found out my hand in all this. To be honest, if he's anything like his father, I don't think I would be able to stop him. Even before I was crippled, I doubt I would be a match for him or his father. No, we need to make sure he remains our ally."

"How do you propose we do that?"

"If we cannot keep our involvement a secret, then we will have to tell him what's afoot and hope he has enough self-restraint to stay his own hand. We must tread carefully, if those two don't lead us to the ship soon, there's no telling what might happen, and we both know that there is much more at stake than just this world."

"I understand master…"

They fell into a silence, watching as the announcer strode into the ring with the first to competitors.

***IN THE RING***

_"Ladies and gentlemen it is time! Please, if you would turn your attention to any of the screens mounted above the stands, we have a special presentation from the Waves and Rocks studios in East City! Many of you may have wondered about the events known as the Cell games. Well, thanks to some well-connected individuals, a movie has been created using some of the original footage from that fateful day, and we have an edited version to show you here today!"_

Krillin pulled up short, halting as his brain fuzzed out. His stomach jumped into his throat, and he immediately cast his gaze over his shoulder towards the building from which he came. The crowd didn't notice his sudden anxiety however, as they were so busy roaring in excitement about the prospect of finally seeing their champ beat Cell down. Krillin furrowed his brow and tried to control the panic that was starting to rise with the ki of his friends'. He knew that most of them would be mostly unaffected by the footage, but he knew a certain demi-saiyan who he never wanted to relive those moments.

_"Now unfortunately folks, a large portion of the footage _was _destroyed during the fight, and most of it was damaged or distorted. However the people of the studio have done a fantastic job recreating and restoring the events using state of the art computer programming, some live acting, and several years of hard work and dedication."_

Back in the waiting area, Videl couldn't believe what she was hearing. Anxiety jumped through her chest, stealing her breath as Gohan tensed beside her. She instinctively grasped onto his arm, glaring at the announcer in open disbelief.

"He can't be serious! Recreated? But if they know what happened, then…"

Her eyes widened even further, and she looked towards the others, who were either watching Gohan now, or watching the screens with a wary expression.

"Do they realize what might happen if they reveal the truth?"

Silence reigned and Videl began to panic more and more in her mind as she thought about the implications of what was about to happen. She nearly jumped out of her skin when a surprisingly soft masculine voice crawled into her senses from behind her.

"Correct me if I'm wrong, but the only people who actually know what happened are those of us who were there, including Mr. Satan. I may not spend very much time around normal humans, but wouldn't that be unfavorable for all of us, especially the big oaf?"

She turned her worried gaze towards 17, letting his words settle in her mind. It was true; there were less than a score of people who knew what actually happened that day. But then, if there was a movie depicting what actually happened, then who would have given them the story? Gohan spoke, his voice surprisingly calm and focused considering how tense he was at the moment.

"I'm willing to bet they 'recreated' Hercule's version of the story. I know for a fact that none of us have spoken to the studio owners before, except perhaps Bulma. But she wouldn't reveal this. That leaves Hercule. And he's got a lot more to lose than any of us if the actual events got out."

His logic betrayed the feelings she could feel emanating off of him. While his eyes seemed clouded over slightly and completely neutral, he had begun quaking slightly. Now, all eyes were on him. Goku glanced nervously over towards Piccolo and Vegeta, the two of them reflecting his serious expression with a nod. He quietly walked over to his son, gently placing a hand on his shoulder.

"Gohan, maybe we should go?"

His fist clenched suddenly, and he sharply turned his head towards his father to gaze at him out the corner of his eye.

"No… No, not this time."

Now his voice began to shake slightly as his eyes burned into his father's. He slowly returned attention to the screen at the back of the arena, his brow furrowed slightly.

"I… I have to see it…"

Goku stared at the back of his head for a moment longer, obviously conflicted about what he should do. Realizing that there was no way to change his son's mind, he turned to the screen as well, keeping his hand on its perch in case he needed to act swiftly. Videl worriedly stared up at him, sliding her tiny hand into his. She felt a tug at the corner of her lip as his hand softened slightly, allowing her to intertwine her fingers with his. She gave his hand a reassuring squeeze just to let him know she was with him before she too turned her attention to the screen.

The logo of the studio appeared for a moment, and then faded into black as the footage from the lone camera crew present at the Cell games began to play. There, alone on his own personally-made stage was Cell in his perfect form. Gohan's hand flinched ever so slightly as his image appeared in full detail with which Videl had never really imagined. She had seen some rather poor quality pictures of the creature before, but now that she saw him with definition, she was truly disgusted. He was humanoid, but besides having two legs, arms and a head, there was nothing human about him. The insect-like carapace, the shelled head, everything, was just wrong.

_"Here we are, just twenty minutes from the start of the Cell games, and… by the looks of it no one seemed to show up for fear of their lives! As you can see, Cell continues to stand in the middle of the ring without moving a muscle. And with not a lot of time left until the opening bell, we're still awaiting the arrival of the peoples' grand champion: The one and only Hercule Satan!"_

It didn't take long for the "champ" to arrive, making his entrance in his black limo that he still kept to this day. The commentator praised him again and again, giving his boisterous approval when the Champ openly declared that cell was "going down". The champ turned to them and waved for them to go down to the ring, and the scene changed. Conveniently, the next scene was well after Hercule was done making a fool of himself before the whole world to Cell.

_"What the…? What is that?"_

_ "Hmph. What are you talking about?"_

_ "What do you think it could be?"_

Then, the Z-fighters began appearing, getting short introductions in mini-scenes. She'd seen bits and pieces of this before, but seeing it again in detail, she began to recognize the fighters. Vegeta was the first to appear, just as grumpy looking as normal, closely followed by some Giant of a man she vaguely remembered was a robot of some sort with a red Mohawk. Then the rest arrived in one big group. She recognized Goku, despite his blonde hair. There was the man, slightly shorter than Goku wearing armor like Vegeta's and lavender hair who she thought looked startlingly like an older version of Trunks. Piccolo was there, so was Tien, a bald Krillin and Yamcha. She inhaled sharply as she recognized one in particular, the eleven year old version of the man next to her wearing a gi almost identical to Piccolo's.

_He looks so different. I know it's him, but his face… The scar is the least noticeable difference, just look at his eyes! There's no lines, no trace of worry or anger. And they look so… bright. Kami I never realized just how dead his eyes really are until now._

The scene changed again, completely skipping the fights between Cell, her father, and his students.

_Hmph! Of course they would skip that bit of the footage! I might have been young the last time I saw it but I know that Dad and his two students got in the ring first. The more I see the more I think this was dad's idea._

_ "Now, let's get this tournament started shall we? Who will be first?"_

Cell's voice had been enhanced, but even with all the digital manipulation behind it, shivers of disgust still crawled up Videl's spine. Next to her, Gohan shuddered, his hand going rigid at the sound of the monster's voice. On screen, Cell turned towards the gathered Z-fighters, and the Camera followed to find Goku stepping into the ring. The two of them squared off against each other, and after what Videl could only conclude was a lot of cutting and editing, Cell announced the start of the match with a "ding".

Here, things got strange. There were parts of the movie that were obviously fabricated, most likely fillers for the portions where the two fighters couldn't be seen. The Camera was able to track for some of the original footage. That much she was positive about. The rest of it looked off ever so slightly.

_Well I admit, whoever did computer editing in this did a pretty damn good job. Some of these things are almost believable… _

Then the ring was gone, leaving a crater in the ground, with Cell proclaiming that the whole world was their ring now. The fight in the film was very quick, much faster than Videl remembered it being in the original broadcast. She also noted that almost all of the ki blasts were edited out as well, with the exception of one. Goku was floating in the air, hands cupped at his sides, and he was chanting the words to something that Videl couldn't quite make out. A blue basketball sized ball of ki formed in his grasp, and Videl faintly heard Cell gasp in fear.

_"No! Goku!"_

_ "No, don't do it! Please dad, don't!"_

_ "He wouldn't!"_

Then Goku disappeared, and from somewhere off-camera, a low hum of electricity suddenly popped into existence. The camera turned just as Goku let forth a loud roar, thrusting his hands forward and sending forth a monster blast from his palms. Videl felt her insides go numb as she realized what must have gone into such a blast. She had difficulty making a small ball of ki and throwing it, but he just released one that appeared to be large enough to take out a city by her reckoning.

_Okay, I know that these guys were way stronger than normal people, but exactly how capable are they? I still feel like I've barely scratched the surface here._

There was a bright flash of light, and when the smoke cleared, Cell was revealed to be missing everything from the abdomen up. But they had all seen the footage before, and just like the first time, Cell began to regenerate. Pulsing and oozing a strange grey liquid that rapidly formed into new body parts. She faintly heard Piccolo growl off to the other side of Goku from her.

"To think that disgusting… thing had some of my cells… It still makes me sick."

_Some of his cells? What does he mean?_

Realizing that there were many things she still didn't know, despite the vast amount of knowledge she had gained from the eldest Son child, she added more questions to her list of "things to find out". She returned her eyes to the screen in time to see Goku's infamous surrender. Then, the moment she had been waiting for with bated breath. She clutched onto the man next to her in anticipation as Goku flew to his son on the screen, speaking unknown words to him. The Gohan in the film nodded, his expression indiscernible. He stripped off the white cape he was wearing, revealing a surprisingly large amount of muscle packed onto his eleven-year-old body while the announcer mumbled about food and delivery boys.

_Gohan… The delivery boy. The child who defeated Cell. It's so strange looking at him in this video, knowing that he's right here next to me..._

Few words were spoken now on the film, and the fight between Cell and the delivery boy began. Just like the fight with Goku, it was cut and edited to the point of being almost too abrupt. She noted that they had even completely skipped the moment that Cell destroyed the tall red-haired robot. Then Gohan fell. She wasn't sure what had happened, but he was getting beat into the dirt. Cell was stomping on his chest, kicking him around, whatever he could, and yelling at the boy. She felt sympathy pains as she watched him get hit again and again, and she glanced up at his glazed over expression with tears in her eyes. She felt something clawing at her, an incessant itch in her gut that she needed sated.

"Gohan… Why? What was the point… of all of that pain?"

His eyes never left the screen, but she could see him swallow past what she could only assume was the horror of his memories.

"He tried to break me… mentally… To make me lose my temper."

"I don't understand! What does that mean? You were already transformed."

He only responded with a nod towards the screen. Taking his silent hint, she returned her attention to it, only to find the strange Cell juniors had already made their appearance. The camera was darting all over, taking in the carnage as one by one the Z-fighters fell to the onslaught. A strange clattering sound could be heard, and suddenly the camera shifted right to their front, centered on the head of the robot guy. There were a few yelps of shock from the crowd as well as on the footage as the head began to speak to them, asking Hercule to throw him to Gohan. The scene shifted again, and now the head of the robot was sitting before the now-battered Gohan.

"The strange thing is, it wasn't Cell who drove me over the edge… In the end, it was Android 16… He convinced me to let go… After Cell killed him… I did… I transformed a second time..."

She couldn't tear her eyes away from the screen, barely noticing the rock-solid grip that Gohan had on her hand, or the heavy breathing coming from him. The Gohan on the screen was staring in shock at the head of who she now knew to be an android. Cell confidently walked towards him, and Videl felt a sickening lurch in her stomach as she saw his heel descend on the android's head. Several of the people in the crowd screamed in horror as what appeared to be blood spattered everywhere, including the front of the super-saiyan before him. For a moment nothing happened, then Cell called something over his shoulder and turned to face the others.

The Gohan on the screen stood, the look on his face quickly taking on the enraged scowl she had seen him wear as an adult only once: When he had transformed in front of her the first time. His muscles visibly began to swell, and his hair began to spike even higher. Static crackled around him and with a scream to the sky… The screen went black.

_What?! What happened? Dammit!_

She turned her attention to the man at her side, noting that his eyes were still glazed over. To her surprise however, Goku appeared to be lost in thought as well. But his expression was different, full of pride. The screen flashed with white letters for a moment, reading "The footage from this point on was unrecoverable. Stand-in actors and computer generated footage have been used to tell the rest of the story". The scene came back, though obviously shot before a green-screen and layered with different effects to make it more theatrical. The boy they had picked as Gohan's stand in was noticeably older than eleven, probably in his early teens. He was wearing a blonde wig that spiked up in every direction, and his lean arms didn't do the real thing justice.

_Well now I guess we find out what the story is going to be…_

She almost immediately got her answer. Within seconds of coming back on screen the stand-in Gohan was immediately hit by a computer generated "laser" that burnt a giant hole in his left side. The crowd gasped in shock at the sudden apparent death-blow. The actor screamed and fell backwards dramatically, passing out when he hit the ground. In spite of the situation, she felt relief flood her at the image, knowing that they were going with the rendition that her father had given the world immediately after the games. She tore her eyes from the movie, instead looking up into the real Gohan's face, trying to see through the mask.

"What really happened?"

He didn't immediately respond. He continued to watch the film for a moment before slowly turning his gaze to meet hers. As soon as their eyes connected, she once again saw the depth of his anguish in those onyx orbs. She felt a sensation of guilt, the likes of which she had rarely felt before, come crashing down on her heart. For a split second, she wondered if she was feeling guilt for asking the question, or if she was feeling what she saw in those eyes. When his response came, it was low. So low, that she almost missed it.

"The lesser of two evils happened."

They stood in silence, and she couldn't take her eyes off of him. She searched his eyes, which were again staring at the screen with a glazed over look that told her he wasn't really watching.

_Lesser of two evils? He says he killed his father. I still don't think he could do that… He just transformed again, whatever that entails. I suppose it could have been that... But he's not evil. He's harsh, yes… but not evil._

The movie didn't last much longer after that, with a stand-in Hercule making his appearance after breaking Cell's "trick machine" and beating the computer generated monster into a pulp. The crowd roared their approval of the movie, clapping and stomping their feet at the champ's apparent prowess and intelligence. She noted that all of the Z-fighters featured in the video seemed to have survived the battle, with the exception of the "delivery boy", who died tragically before anyone could save him for suspense.

_"Ladies and Gentlemen the full, uncut version of the film you just watched is available for purchase at each exit, gift shop, and booth within this compound for only nineteen ninety-five!"_

Silence hung over the Z-fighters. Some stared at the now blank screen with incredulity written across their faces, while the others either looked nervously towards Gohan and Goku. The tension in the air was thick enough that Videl was certain she could have cut it with a knife. She held her breath, waiting for him to respond as the crowd outside continued to go wild. A heavy sigh fell from him and his shoulders visibly relaxed, and his eyes lowered to the ground. He loosed a short, hollow laugh that had absolutely no trace of amusement or joy in it.

"I think I prefer their version…"

She had no clue what to say to that, and evidently neither did his father, who once again took on a nervous expression as he watched his son.

_"Now, without further ado… Let us begin the fight and kick off the twenty sixth world martial arts tournament! Fighters! At the sound of the gong, you may begin!"_

Krillin took one last look towards where he could feel Gohan's ki beginning to level out, and returned his gaze to his voluminous opponent. He'd been worried for a few minutes there that the boy would have lost his cool, and the Z-fighters would have had to intervene. But, as opposed to all the other times anyone had ever brought Cell up, he had stayed relatively calm. The change in his behavior was puzzling to say the least for the short fighter. He silently reflected on everything that could have affected him so, ignoring the boisterous ranting of the giant in the ring with him.

_Goku's back, that could definitely be a contributing factor. We're all gathered for the first time since the party celebrating Chi Chi's pregnancy right after Cell… Eh I don't think that we have all that big of an impact on him anymore. Shoot he spent a large part of the last seven years avoiding most of us… Heh you know what, I bet it's Videl! He can deny it all he wants to, but I see the way he is around her even when he's trying to hide it. Hmm it's strange I always expected him to finally give in and take things up with Lime, they've been so close for years… It seems so sudden… Oh who am I kidding? I fell head over heels for 18 on the first day, now look at us!_

"Hey little man! You look scared! It's okay to be, when you're facing someone like me in a fight! You might think that because you are small, that you can outmaneuver me, but I tell you it is not so!"

He focused his eyes on the giant, who was sneering down at him and puffing his already massive chest out. Krillin grunted and crossed his arms in front of his chest, glaring up at the giant as his worries were pushed aside by the pompous arrogance. He opened his mouth to growl out an irritable retort, but hadn't even got the first word out before the gong sounded and Pintar leapt backwards, doing a series of backflips that were quite impressive coming from a man of his stature. With a definitive thud, he landed on both his feet before the short fighter in an attempt to shake him. Krillin just cocked an eyebrow and clamped his mouth shut, barely containing his irritation at the giant fool. Pintar grew a little red in the face before smiling confidently and planting his hands on his hips, leaning forward and over the small fighter before him.

"You think you're a tough guy huh? I'll tell you what shorty, I'll give you the first hit! Then you can see how hopeless it is to fight me, and maybe you'll do the smart thing and surrender!"

The words had barely left his mouth before Krillin took him up on his offer. He took one step forward and drove his fist into the gut of the giant man, burying his hand in his stomach all the way to his elbow. Pintar's eyes bulged in his skull as the considerable amount of wind was forced out of him and he let out a high pitched wail. Without waiting for him to recover, Krillin leaped up to grabbed him by the hem of his vest and proceeded to smack him repeatedly across the face in a back and forth pattern before driving his foot upwards beneath the giant's chin and sending him flying. The two of them landed at the same time, with Krillin lightly planting himself in the ring, and Pintar crashing head-first into the grass outside the ring.

_"Wow, I can't believe it folks! Krillin returns out of nearly twenty years of retirement and completely dominates Pintar! He advances to the next match! Give him a round of applause for that impressive display!"_

The crowd obliged him, letting forth a barrage of applause that rained down on the short fighter. Emboldened by the attention, he held up a hand in a victory sign and smartly marched off the platform to return to the waiting area. He chuckled nervously as he watched four monks struggle to roll Pintar onto a stretcher to be carried out of the arena.

_Heh, maybe I laid it on a little too thick? He didn't exactly have a chance in the first place…_

"_What a start for today's competition! Now, ladies and gentlemen, we have yet another competitor from the twenty-third tournament; Ma Junior versus the mysterious newcomer; Shin!"_

**A/N: I know, relatively uneventful chapter here. But rest assured, there is always a calm before a storm! Next chapter, things are going to get a bit more interesting. See you next time!**


	24. The First Rounds

**Oh herro! I know, I know it's been like a million years since I updated last(!) I'm sorry, things have been getting pretty hectic with my move back half-way around the world quickly approaching. I'm going to try and get one more chapter up before I leave in two weeks, but I can't make any promises unfortunately. However I'm going to have something like forty hours on a plane, so you can be sure I'll have at least one more chapter for you when I land back home. So anyways, here you all go! R&R and enjoy!**

**Chapter 24: The First Rounds**

Piccolo cleared his throat and composed his face into its usual neutral glare as he made his way out of the waiting area. Shin followed closely behind him, his expression a mask of neutrality. The cheers of the crowd began to mix with a faint buzz as people took in the contestants for the first time. With his sharp hearing, Piccolo managed to pick out more than one conversation going on that took notice of the all too familiar figure before them.

_Hmm it seems that some of them have realized I was just on screen, even if it was for a short time... Which means they'll most certainly recognize Vegeta, Yamcha and Tien as well… You guys had better watch out, you might get some unwanted attention from this. I can escape the worst of it at least._

_ "Now, Shin is one of our newest contestants, and he's not really one for words folks so we know next to nothing about him. Does he have what it takes to take on Ma Junior; one of the finalists in what was possibly the most destructive tournaments this series has ever witnessed? I remember it like it was only yesterday folks, the amount of raw power this man is capable of is quite staggering."_

He flipped the switch on the mic and turned towards Piccolo, his expression much more somber than it had been addressing the crowd.

"And please, can we keep the ring in one piece this time big guy?"

The tall Namekian felt the corner of his lip twitch as the memories of his last match with Goku came back to him. He nodded his head with an amused grunt and turned to face his opponent. Shen was completely still, his face still neutral as he stared right back at the former guardian. Piccolo felt a pang of panic jolt through him as he again searched his memory for where he recognized him from.

_Dammit, I shouldn't be so affected by him! I've never seen him before in my life, and he doesn't look all that powerful… But then neither does any of the kids, and they could probably hold their own against me. _

He took a nervous glance towards the window where he could just barely make out the silhouette of Gohan, and their earlier conversation rang in his head. Steeling himself against his uncertainty, Piccolo gritted his teeth and took in his opponent again.

_Fine Gohan, you've got your fight. But I'm taking no chances…_

With that he reached up and pried his turban from his head, allowing the cool autumn breeze to blow across his sweaty brow. He tossed it to the side where it landed with a heavy thunk, and pulled his cape up and over his head, exposing his muscular form in all its glory. He heard the gasps of the crowd and growled in irritation.

_It's a good thing that Ria shorted most of the cameras here. Just to be safe though…_

He glanced around the crowd, spotting several that were toting smaller digital cameras and clicking away furiously at them. He flinched a little and shot his ki out to the devices, rupturing the lenses and frying the internals with a spark of light. Many of the people in the crowd jumped suddenly at the minor destruction of their cameras, looking despairingly down at the ruined devices.

_Well, that'll take care of that problem. All they have now is word of mouth, and what little pictures they can get with film cameras._

"Ma Junior hmmm? Oh you are very clever, but that probably wasn't necessary."

Piccolo started at the voice, returning his attention to the short purple skinned man. Uneasiness washed over him yet again, but he clenched his fists and got into his fighting stance nonetheless. The announcer, taking this as his cue, switched his mic back on and jumped from the ring, catching the attention of the audience once more.

_"Gentlemen, at the sound of the gong!"_

A tense few seconds passed, and Shin slowly lowered himself into a ready position. Another jolt of recognition shot through Piccolo's mind, and he narrowed his eyes, scrutinizing the stance. It was oddly familiar to him, like he had seen it somewhere before, but not in a very long time.

_Who are you Shin?_

As if in response to his question, the short purple man smirked up at him, his eyes narrowing dangerously. Piccolo couldn't help but think that perhaps the short man had heard his unspoken question. His thoughts were interrupted by the loud ring of the gong, and for a moment neither of them moved. Their eyes clashed as each waited for the other to make their move. Throwing caution to the wind, Piccolo plunged into his pool of ki, throwing it back and down and shooting himself forward to close the distance with a loud war cry.

He rotated his torso and shot his arm forward in a straight punch towards the short man, but could not put as much power behind it as he wanted. His ki seemed unresponsive, like it didn't want to cooperate with his demands. The punch sailed right towards Shin's face, but he effortlessly sidestepped and blocked it with a casual flick of the wrist. Piccolo stood straight and shook his head, trying to understand why he had pulled the punch. He faced Shin again, whose smirk had left his face, leaving him looking contemplative towards the Namekian. With a snarl, Piccolo attempted to attack again, shooting low and attempting to sweep his legs out from under him. But Shin merely hopped over it when Piccolo's leg slowed mid-sweep.

_What in the world is wrong with me?! I'm not consciously doing this!_

Frustration welled up in his gut, burning into his limbs and willing him to fight harder. He widened the tap on his ki, opening the flow up to allow his full potential forth. His aura flashed white around him and he could feel the energy rush into his veins.

_No more games, I will figure you out Shin!_

Like before, the purple man's eyes narrowed and a smirk danced on his lips.

"I'm disappointed Piccolo… Come on then."

A shock jolted up the Namekian's spine as the mysterious figure uttered his name, too quiet for anyone else to hear. He growled deep in the back of his throat, glaring at the short man with an even deeper sensation of fear blackening his heart.

"You… Cannot know that name… Who are you?"

"That is for me to know, and you to continue to worry about."

The sardonic retort hit Piccolo as hard as one of Gohan's punches, and his temper slipped. He clenched his teeth and rushed the short man, intending on taking him out of the fight quickly. To his dismay, his first punch lacked the power he knew he possessed, and it was brushed aside yet again. He returned with another punch, then a kick, then another punch. All of his attacks fell short, leaving behind the power he knew he was capable of. Frustration exploded in him, and he lunged forward, driving a high knee towards the short man, and was surprised when it connected with the center of his chest.

Shin staggered backwards with a grimace on his face, clutching his chest with one hand. Piccolo was so shocked that he actually hit him that he barely caught himself and settled back into his stance. He felt a peculiar sensation of guilt flood him as Shin heaved a couple times to gain a second wind. He glanced up at Piccolo with a pained smile, recovering quickly.

"I've been out of it too long it seems. I fear what would have happened if you hadn't been restraining yourself."

_Restraining myself? How could he know that? I don't even know if I'm doing that! Who is…? No… No it couldn't be…_

He flashed his mind back to their fight, inspecting his fighting style once more. It was so familiar because he knew someone who's fighting style resembled it, though way less refined. Two people actually.

_Goku, right after he came back from the dead to face Vegeta and Nappa! And King Kai, his mentor! But that means… Shin is a Kai… One that has to be above the west Kai, which makes him…_

His blood ran cold at the realization. It made sense suddenly why he was subconsciously refusing to hit him. The Kami half of him recognized him for what he was, but Piccolo hadn't fully realized it. No sooner had the thought crossed his mind than Shen's face shifted quickly to a serious glare. Piccolo watched his eyes dart towards the waiting area and back before he shot forward, a red aura flashing around him for a split second as he boosted towards the Namekian. Piccolo, in his stunned state, didn't react in time, and Shin struck him with a quick three punch combo before kicking him square in the chest with a side-kick that threw him backwards. He landed heavily on his back, the tile of the ring cold against his bare arms and head. His muscles locked where they were, and he could only stare up at the sky as a foreign energy flooded his mind, rendering him paralyzed and shut out from the rest of the world.

_**You are correct in your assumption Piccolo, I am indeed a Kai... Specifically I am the supreme Kai, one of the remaining greater Kai's of this universe. I know that you also are aware of a certain half-Saiyan who bears no small amount of ill-will towards my race. Whatever your personal feelings are, you must realize I would not be here without a purpose, one with which Gohan, or any of you for that matter, cannot interfere.**_

The sounds of the arena and the blue of the sky slowly faded back into focus, and Piccolo's mind started working of its own will again. The crowd was screaming down at him, and the rhythmic chant of the announcer finally broke through to him.

_"…Nine… Ten! Ladies and gentlemen, Shin is the winner of the second match!"_

_ Shin… The Supreme Kai… Dammit, what is going on here?_

He pushed himself up into a seated position, casting his stunned gaze around until he found his query. Shin was only a few short feet away, and looked slightly pale and winded, like he had been exerting a lot of energy. He composed his face into a neutral, passive expression and stared down at the former Kami.

"I assure you, you will find out soon. Until then, please keep this knowledge to yourself. If you value the lives of those on this planet, as well as any other planet in this universe, you will let me do what I need to do."

With that said, he turned and strode from the ring, leaving Piccolo to stare after him and piece together his thoughts. He stood shakily and took a deep breath, watching as the short man entered the waiting area under the scrutinizing glare of the Z warriors.

_Supreme Kai or not, you may have made the worst mistake possible, bringing Goku back. Whatever you are after had better be worth it, because if it is not, you may not live to tell about it._

***IN THE WAITING AREA***

Gohan furrowed his brow, concentrating. Shin had won the match, but something certainly felt off for the Demi-Saiyan. He had felt Piccollo's ki open up to maximum, and while he was nowhere near the obscene display of raw power of a super-saiyan, he was by far more powerful than he just displayed. It didn't make sense, Piccolo's attacks seemed slow and forced, a far cry from the smooth and fluid attacks that he was known for. It had something to do with Shin, the only question was; what did he do to his friend?

He tore his eyes away from the short purple guy, noticing absently that he looked shaken, much to his tall pink friend's worry. His attention was now on the tall approaching form of his former mentor, who had retrieved his cape and turban. As he passed through the threshold, the tall Namekian paused his eyes on Gohan. His eyes held a whole plethora of thoughts that Gohan couldn't have deciphered in a hundred years. One thing was abundantly clear though, and that was that Piccolo needed to be alone.

"Is he that powerful Piccolo?"

Krillins raspy voice sounded fearful, and Gohan knew he was nervously inspecting his next opponent. Piccolo's eyes remained locked with Gohan's, and the demi knew that he was focusing hard on something. A burning desire to know what was going through his former mentor's mind flared up, and he almost made the decision to ask until he knew what was going on.

_No Gohan, don't do that. He's given me space for years at my request. I need to give him that same courtesy. He'll tell me if I need to know._

Piccolo's expression remained grim, but he nodded.

"More powerful than we imagined Krillin."

Krillin's face fell, and he crossed his arms, glaring hard at the ground.

"Man, I never get any luck in these things. This is why I've never made it to the final match."

Tien mimicked his pose, glaring at him and deadpanning.

"Yea, poor you fighting someone who none of us know. Well at-least you don't have to fight your wife… Or her brother… We remember what they did to us last time right?"

Without saying anything else, Piccolo turned and strode to the end of the hallway, reclaiming his place against the wall and crossing his arms with his usual scowl. Gohan watched after him a moment before carefully scrutinizing Shen and Kibito. The large pink man was gripping his companion by the shoulder, and his strange ki was fluctuating in a most bizarre fashion. Shin appeared to perk up slightly after a moment, and a small smile graced his expression. He turned, and their eyes met for a second, and Gohan swore he saw the corner of his eye twitch nervously before turning away again.

_More powerful than we imagined… We'll just have to see about that._

_ "Now, ladies and gentlemen, our next one is going to be a good one! On one side, we have the former runner-up of the last two tournaments, Jewel! In the other is none other than Satan City's very own heroine beauty, and Mr. Satan's daughter, Videl! Please, let's hear that world famous cheer and get these fighters out here!"_

Gohan continued to watch Kibito and Shin for a moment before turning back to the rest of the group, where Videl was getting some last second words of encouragement from the others. She pushed past them with an excited grin on her face, pausing only momentarily before Gohan, who nodded to her once with a smile barely visible in his eyes.

"Have fun out there Videl, I'll see you after your match okay?"

She continued past him, returning his gesture and making her way out into the sunlit arena. She winced a little at the loud cheering that assaulted her ears, and nervously waved around at the crowd. That only served to fan the flame, and she could feel her eyes trying to cross at the force of the sound hitting her in the head. She shook her head, flinging her short hair around and made her way up onto the arena, taking her position on one side of the center while Jewel made his way to the other. They stood approximately ten feet apart and Jewel was looking her up and down, making her very self-conscious of where his wandering gaze was probing.

"You know, you've grown into quite the beauty? What say we… meet up when this is all over and I've won the tournament? We could celebrate properly."

Her stomach churned uncomfortably as his voice drawled out to him, his egotistical and pompous tone nearly making her as sick as his implication. She scowled, giving him her best glare, which quickly wiped the smug sneer off his face. He cleared his throat and tensed nervously at the pure loathing she sent him.

"You're being pretty pretentious assuming I'd 'celebrate' with you, especially since I'm about to ruin your day by beating you down."

She let a smirk form on her lips, narrowing her eyes at the blonde man.

"Besides, I don't need a womanizing airhead to celebrate with. I've already got a _real _man."

His nervousness dropped away quickly into open outrage. He gaped at her, dumbstruck.

_"Alright fighters! You both know the drill, at the sound of the gong…"_

"Nobody… _Nobody, _turns me down and insults me! You'll regret those words girl. I don't care who your father is, I will still beat you, and I will win this tournament!"

They settled into their respective stances, awaiting the sound of the gong. Videl mentally prepared herself, knowing full well how good of a fighter Jewel was. He had nearly defeated her father five years ago, and despite the lying about cell, and the fact that he didn't know what ki was, he was certainly the greatest normal human fighter of recent years. She'd been training hard for this occasion for years, and now it was time to perform.

_**BONG!**_

She allowed him to make the first move, knowing that he was still seething from her comment. He obliged her patience, rushing forward with his fist cocked back and prepared to strike. He closed the distance, and Videl noticed a subtle shift of his weight forward well before he was in punching range. Accurately reading his telegraphing, she shifted back and out of the way just as he unleashed a fast kick that would have caught her unawares otherwise. His eyes widened in shock at the speed with which she moved, and she capitalized on it. She caught his ankle and punched him on the inside of the thigh, the gut, and the sternum in quick succession before sweeping his grounded leg and sending him skidding on his back with a loud huff of lost air.

_Damn, that was too easy… I expected more fight out of him than that._

The crowd went wild, and Jewel's face turned brick red as he struggled to regain his footing. The leg that Videl had struck had gone numb, and everything from the knee down was unresponsive, giving him a rather bad limp as he faced her again.

_"Folks, the fight has only just begun and Videl has already demonstrated a _huge _improvement in speed and skill since her last appearance in the junior division! I don't think Jewel was prepared for such a ferocious fighter, but he's back up and it looks like the fight will continue!"_

The blonde glowered at her, settling himself into a back-stance that favored his good leg; a more defensive posture, and he eyed her warily. She smirked at him, relishing the feeling she was getting from tormenting the arrogant prick. She would make him pay for suggesting she would _ever _go to bed with him.

She put her arms up in a casual guard, steadily closing in on him with her confidence boosted by the crowd. The instant she got within ten feet of him, he suddenly went back on the offense, trying to catch her in her apparent state of unpreparedness. He unleashed a flurry of punches, avoiding the use of his disabled leg. She watched each blow descend upon her in a slowness that she hadn't really noticed before, like her mind was slowing it down to catch every detail. Each attack unveiled a new weakness in his technique, which she had to admit was very good, but still imperfect. She blocked, parried, or dodged everything, letting him think that he was controlling the fight. The ease with which she was able to toy with him surprised her, but she knew that her last month of training must have had something to do with her increase in prowess.

She soon tired of the game, and she decided to humiliate the blonde even more. She blocked a straight punch from him and threw a quick jab upwards into the inside of his arm, letting it fall limp to his side as the limb numbed. He staggered back a step, glaring at the arm as it refused to follow his command before rounding on her again. He struggled forward and swung his remaining good arm limply in a round strike as a last ditch effort, only to have it similarly disabled. He stood there, fear etched across his face as he took in his unresponsive appendages. She smiled, crossing her arms and considering him with her head tilted to the side, like an artist would with a new piece.

"Hmmmm nope, still missing something."

He paled and returned his eyes to her, mouth opening and closing like a fish out of water without any words coming out. His apprehension almost made her laugh out loud. She lunged forward, startling him into staggering back a step, trying to control himself on his one good leg. She darted forward, delivering a swift and sharp round house kick to the inside of said leg, and grinned deviously as she watched him fall backwards with a yelp. He crashed to the floor, staring up at the sky with his four limbs twitching slightly.

He struggled for a moment, attempting in vain to get himself standing again before he accepted his defeat, glaring up at her from his compromising position. Pure hatred flowed from him as the announcer began his countdown.

"You bitch! You're going to regret this! I swear, I'm going to… I'm gonna…"

"You're gonna what? Bite my legs off? Well I'm sorry, 'good sir knight', but unless you want me to do worse to you, you'll stay right there. Just take a nap, you'll feel better."

_"… and Ten! Videl wins by… erm… knockout! I tell you what ladies and gentlemen, I've been in this business for many, many years, and I've never seen someone win a match the way that our young heroine did today. To lose by laying on the ground unable to move? That's got to be a blow to the ego."_

***IN THE READY ROOM***

Gohan grinned to himself as Videl made her way back to towards them. The energy and happiness radiating off of her was infectious, and he couldn't help but feel pride at what she had accomplished. What would have been a hard fight before she began her training with him was now child's play for her. None of the Z-fighters were particularly surprised by the outcome of the match, however Krillin did notice something.

"Hey Gohan, I couldn't help noticing that she fights kinda like Piccolo. You've been teaching her the demon fist right?"

He grunted in affirmation, considering his older friend curiously. Krillin pouted slightly, looking up at his godson.

"It works, but I'm kinda surprised you didn't teach her any of the turtle form…"

Gohan averted his eyes from the short monk, instead returning his eyes to the girl walking towards them. It was no surprise to him that his godfather had hoped he would teach her some of master Roshi's technique, but there was a reason he had not. In truth, it was the exact same reason he hadn't used that fighting style in years, and why he hadn't made a Kamehameha wave since the one that killed Cell. He refused to acknowledge that he knew it at all out of shame. For him to admit that he had learned all of that from his father just brought back the pain from that day. Not wanting to admit his real reason, he recited his practiced excuse as she entered the room.

"The Demon Fist complimented her fighting style that she had before. It wasn't necessary to teach her the Turtle form."

Videl immediately found her way towards the tall demi, joy radiating from her. She hop-skipped the last few steps towards him and threw her arms around the slightly surprised warrior. He hesitated, looking down at her quizzically before relenting and returning the hug. He could hear Krillin snickering at him behind his back, but he let it be. It was only a hug after all.

Videl released the hug and beamed up at him, excitement flooding her voice as she spoke.

"I haven't had that much fun in a fight in… Oh I don't even know how long! Your training made so much of a difference! Thanks doesn't even begin to cover what I wish I could say."

"Hey it was all your doing shortstop. I just provided a means."

He leaned in close so that none of the others could hear him.

"By the way why did you drag it out like that? Not that I didn't enjoy watching you fight, that was pretty funny, but why?"

She crossed her arms indignantly and glared back through the doorway towards the ring.

"That pig suggested that we should go somewhere to 'celebrate' after the tournament… I don't think I need to tell you what he meant?"

"And you said…?"

She hesitated, mouth agape as she halted herself before she could speak the words that were about to come from her mouth. Her cheeks began to flush a brilliant pink and she avoided looking him directly in the face. She cleared her throat nervously.

"Well… No obviously…"

He was slightly puzzled by her response, but decided not to think into it too much. After all, her answer had been quite clear. The other Z fighters gathered around as soon as the two of them returned to the group, congratulating the raven-haired crime fighter for her performance. A commotion near the entrance of the waiting area caught their attention, and they all burst into laughter as Jewel was wheeled out on a wheel chair, screaming bloody murder and obscenities at Videl the whole way.

"_Would Killa and Spopovich please make their way to the arena?"_

Gohan sniffed irritably at the announcement, knowing full well that they were probably in for a boring fight. Neither of the fighters appeared to be anything special, even Spopovich with his unusual appearance. He considered for a moment that Spopovich could have been the person that Shin and Kibito were after, but no matter how many times he did the equation, it didn't add up. On top of that, he still wasn't sure what he thought about the two mysterious men. He glanced over to where his former mentor had decided to relax, and was surprised to find that he hadn't moved.

_Okay, that's enough of this…_

He smartly made his way over to the Namekian, ignoring the quizzical looks of his friends that he could feel burning into the back of his head. He stopped directly in front of him, staring up hard at him with his arms crossed. Silence reigned as he waited for Piccolo to acknowledge his presence. The gong rang, and he could hear the crowd cheer enthusiastically. Another minute passed and he still didn't move, and Gohan was beginning to lose his patience. Finally, just as he was about to say something, Piccolo's eyes cracked a tiny bit and his scowl depened.

"What is it kid?"

Gohan hesitated, remembering what he had been thinking earlier. Sure, he respected Piccolo, but there was something very wrong and he was determined to find out what. Trying to think the best way about this, he kept his question short and his voice low, making sure that nobody was close enough to overhear.

"You know who he is Piccolo?"

Piccolo's eyes found his again, and his anxiety was abundantly clear to Gohan. He and Piccolo both knew that there was no way the Namekian could lie to him now, his answer was all too clear.

"Yes."

Silence reigned again, and Gohan began to feel impatient. The match was apparently taking a lot longer than he had predicted, though he couldn't feel anything special about either fighter except that one was not fluctuating. Stowing away that little bit of information for later analysis, he returned his mind to the Namekian.

"Well? Care to fill me in?"

A bead of sweat dripped down the side of his face under the glare of the Demi, which only served to frustrate him further. Gohan growled and cracked his neck, willing himself to stay calm.

"Piccolo if he's that bad, then we need to get rid of him! Now who is he?"

"No, Gohan, he's not the bad guy. Understand, I cannot tell you who he is, but you would definitely not be doing us any favors by getting rid of him."

Instead of placating the demi, his words only seemed to fuel his curiosity. Piccolo started to feel more and more trapped, and turned to the last resort he would have never imagined using on him before.

"Remember, your father is only here for as long as they are, I don't think you want to take him away yet."

He let the words hang in the air, and Gohan visibly tensed. Hurt and outrage shone in his pitch black eyes, and immediately regret and guilt washed over the Namekian. He knew what affect using his father against him would have, but it was that or risk setting loose the long contained fury within him.

"I'm sorry my friend, but you're going to have to trust me."

Gohan turned on his heel and walked away, leaving a heavy silence in his wake. Piccolo cursed himself silently for resorting to such methods, and hoped the boy wouldn't hold it against him later. He observed as he returned to the group, hanging a little outside of the rest, who eyed him warily. His dark mood was hard to miss, and the others knew well enough when to give him some space, or in Goku's case, was told to leave it be. To try and normalize the tension in the air, they went about talking about the old days and catching up. Videl alone stood with him, not speaking, just being. Piccolo closed his eyes, delving back into his mental debate.

_ The Supreme Kai is here on earth, Goku is back from the dead with him, and we have no clue why. He said if I cared for the sake of life in the universe then he has to succeed. No doubt he must realize that whatever it is he's after, he could have easily gotten help from Gohan, or even Vegeta for that matter, provided he give them good enough a reason… So why bring Goku back? Shin is one of the Greater Kai's, above the Grand Kai. There must be millions of dead fighters in otherworld that he has observed for who knows how long, so why would he pick Goku? Is it because he's from this planet? Where does he fit into all of this?_

A conversation caught his attention, and he recognized the voice as Goku's.

"… then King Kai and I were taken to the world of the Grand Kai, which apparently is a big deal in other-world. I've been there ever since. I even competed in an other-world tournament and won against this guy Pikkon in the finals… sorta, we ended up tying."

"You mean to tell me that despite being told that you couldn't return to Earth because you killed King Kai, they let you keep your body, you got sent to what sounds like a sacred place, AND you fought in a tournament? Not exactly the kind of punishment I would have expected…"

Goku scratched the back of his neck nervously, his eyes growing distant and his grin falling slightly.

"Well it wasn't all good either. Being told that I couldn't come back hit me pretty hard, and I was pretty much made to train every day until my body gave out on me. Normally I would enjoy training, but this didn't really seem to serve a purpose. Before it was training for fun to become stronger, always having that goal. But until I came back today, I'd thought that was my punishment… To make me train so much that I began to hate it…"

That earned some dumbfounded looks from all of the Z-fighters, even Gohan, who had been subtly listening to him without watching him. Goku chuckled nervously, realizing the source of their incredulity.

"Heh heh… Me not wanting to train… Crazy right?"

Piccolo stashed away that bit of information, adding it onto the pile of things he knew.

_They forced him to train, and now he just happens to get picked to come to Earth to fight some new threat? It's too much coincidence that he's been forced to train since the day he died, and Supreme Kai picks him for this. He has to have known about… whatever it is he's after… for the last several years, that's the only reason Goku would have been kept in the afterlife to train so hard. Which could mean…_

He felt a cold chill of realization shoot through his veins as his hypothesis came to full light with the new information.

_It's more than likely that the Supreme Kai ordered him to be kept in other-world. He would most certainly have the authority to do it, and to have the Kai's keep Goku training until he was needed. It makes too much sense… And if that's the case, then he has even more to fear of Gohan than I first thought. _

His thoughts were interrupted by an eruption of cheers from the crowd outside, and the rapidly disappearing ki of one of the fighters.

_"And our winner is Spopovich, after a shocking come-from-behind victory. Ladies and gentlemen please stand by; we will resume the tournament shortly!"_

Several monks sprinted through the ready area, and Piccolo could feel the ki of several others already in the arena. The crowd was loud as ever, but now it held a tense buzz where before there was excitement. The winner, Spopovich, strode back into the waiting area, and Piccolo was startled to see his face and hands spattered in blood. His curiosity got the better of him and he strode back to join the group again, looking towards Tien quizzically as he approached. Tien's brow was furrowed in a serious scowl, and he kept glancing back over towards Spopovich and Yamu.

"What happened?"

The triclops considered him with his third eye, making Piccolo's skin crawl at the bizarre display. He never did get used to that extra eye and its ability to move independently of the other two.

"That guy Spopovich is… weird... And ruthless… He was losing to Killa, but just kept getting back up. Killa got tired, and Spopovich beat him into the ground, hard. He made me when I first fought Yamcha look practically gentle. I didn't think he would stop…"

Piccolo considered what he said, looking out into the ring where he could see the large form of Killa being rapidly carried out on a stretcher. Yes, the namekian had been focusing on bigger matters, but it puzzled him that Spopovich could have done anything at all out there without so much as a spike in his ki.

_That makes absolutely no sense. Even your normal earthling experiences ki fluctuation when they get excited or if they fight. But his is just… flat… Constant._

The monks quickly cleaned off the tile of the ring, disappearing quickly from sight with bloodstained rags and mops. The announcer stepped into the ring again, inspecting it under the excited watch of the crowd. Satisfied, he flipped the switch on the microphone and cleared his throat.

_"Alright folks, that was a brutal fight. I have consulted the tournament managers, and they have decided that Spopovich used excessive force during the last match. However, they are not disqualifying him from the tournament on the grounds that Killa was not killed in the fight. They have notified me that if it occurs again, Spopovich will in turn be disqualified from the tournament."_

His words hung in the air for a moment, earning an even louder buzz from the crowd.

_"But enough of that, next we have a returning champion! Tien Shinhan has not been seen in a tournament in nearly twenty years. He will be facing off against a newcomer, who is using the name 'Number 17'."_

His statement earned a few chuckles from the crowd at the name. In fact, the only people that didn't seem to be amused was the Z-fighters and their families. Tien steadily became paler as he began to make his way towards the ring.

"Well, I hope that they don't expect me to win… You'll take it easy on me right?"

The black haired android smirked, but didn't answer his question. He took the lead, leaving the triclops with a slightly crestfallen expression. The crowd erupted into cheers at the sight of the returning champion, even though many of them had never actually seen him, in pictures or otherwise. Without too much extra theatricals, the two fighters stepped into the ring, squaring off against each other. The gong rang, and the two of them began. Tien rushed forward, trying to secure any advantage he could grasp, and true to his own predictions, he was far outclassed by the android. The match lasted barely more than a minute before Tien was cast from the ring unceremoniously.

Gohan couldn't help but laugh at the expression the triclops was wearing as he stood and brushed himself off. The crowd didn't care too much about the apparent ease with which a former champion was defeated. They cheered and stomped their feet and praised the fighters like they were gods. Gohan crossed his arms and shook his head irritably.

_Sheep. They behave like sheep. If one does something, then another will follow, then two more, then four… It's no wonder they treat Mr. Satan like they do, hardly any of them actually realize the power of the fighters in the ring. Oh well… If I'm not mistaken, Dad's up next with 18…_

Tien and 17 rejoined the group, with Tien grumbling to the ground and 17 toting smug grin. Gohan rolled his eyes and nudged the shorter android.

"Don't forget, your next opponent is going to be Goku, unless you think 18 can beat him."

The androids grin fell from his face immediately, and Tien snickered at him behind his back.

_"Next up is yet another former champion, Goku Son! Goku fought in the twenty first tournament at the tender age of twelve, losing only to the legendary fighter Jackie Chun."_

_ Huh… Roshi…_

_ "Then he went on to face Tien Shinhan in the finals of the twenty-second, and nearly won at the age of fifteen! Then he won the twenty third tournament at the age of eighteen against Ma Junior! Ladies and gentlemen today you get to see the last four world champions duke it out in the ring! You will not get another chance to experience an event like this again!"_

He paused while the crowd cheered at the statement. Gohan again reflected that if someone told them he had invented the wheel they would have cheered for him. The excitement in the crowd was strong enough for him to feel it raining down on him in waves of energy.

_"Our other contestant for this match is going by the name Number 18, and, you guessed it; She's Number 17's sister! Like her brother, she is new to the world tournament scene, but we have high hopes for her seeing how well her brother did!"_

"Hey Goku, you'll take it easy on my wife right?"

Goku blinked a couple times in surprise, looking down on his short friend. He jumped backwards when the blonde android appeared out of nowhere, glowering down at her husband with her hands on her hips.

"I can take care of myself Krillin! I don't need his charity for this fight. Remember, I was designed specifically to fight Goku."

"Yea babe, but that was nearly ten years ago! Goku's been training this whole time remember?"

18 growled and turned on her heel, marching away from the rest of the group with a huff. Goku watched after her curiously for a moment, but shrugged it off and followed. Gohan watched the two of them as they entered the ring amidst the deafening roar of the crowd, curiosity beginning to well up in him. Despite his constant discomfort and anxiety at the return of his father, his Saiyan side wanted to know just how strong he had become. Deep down, he longed for the opportunity to fight him, just like the old days preparing for Cell. The thought brought both comfort and a fresh wave of pain that he shoved down into the depths of his consciousness.

"So I can't help but worry about 18… I'm not wrong for asking Goku to take it easy am I? I mean, I know she didn't actually fight him back in the old days, but even Piccolo was able to overpower 17, and Goku is far stronger when he goes super."

"Ha! Key words are 'when he goes super', which that dolt agreed not to do!"

"Vegeta, Goku won't willingly lose a fight if he knows he can win it, even you ought to know that by now."

"Maybe you've forgotten shorty, but Kakarot is far too noble to break that agreement! He won't transform, and I will laugh if that tin can of a wife of yours takes him down! That would almost be worth not fighting him myself!"

Nobody saw fit to try and contradict the prince's statement, disregarding the whole "tin can" statement entirely, knowing for themselves the truth that lay within his words. Gohan admitted he wasn't sure what his father was capable of in his base form. He hadn't sparred either of the android twins once in the time since Cell, and didn't know exactly what they were capable of besides the fact that Vegeta had had problems in the first transformation when they met. He reasoned that the best way to find out would be to watch the fight, and so he cast out his ki, feeling the fight to try and gauge the power of the two, despite the fact that he couldn't feel 17 or 18's ki.

As soon as Goku entered the ring and took his position, 18 dropped into an aggressive stance and prepared herself. Gohan already knew that the android was going to rush the Saiyan in a bid to end the match quickly. She was no fool, and probably did realize that Goku had gotten stronger than she was originally programmed to deal with. Goku on the other hand looked completely relaxed, taking up an easy defensive stance and smiling brightly at the blonde. Needing no further theatrics, the announcer waved towards the monks manning the gong, who struck it sharply and began the fight.

True to his prediction, 18 immediately shot forth, demonstrating a blinding speed with which she was capable of moving, and startling Gohan. He knew she was a very strong fighter, but even he hadn't expected her to be so fast. Goku seemed likewise affected, and she landed two punches in quick succession, staggering the Saiyan back slightly before he managed to get his guard up and block. 18 pressed her attack, not allowing him to counter. For a moment, Gohan considered that perhaps Vegeta had been correct in his hypothesis and that he was about to witness his father lose to the woman. After all, he was indeed too noble to break his agreement with Vegeta.

But Goku did what he does best, and surprised the android by halting one of her punches fist-to-fist, forcing her back several feet from the force of the strike. He considered her for a few moments, seemingly trying to calculate something while the Android glared at him menacingly. Then his ki spiked, rising well above what Gohan had thought him capable of in an instant. He remained in his basic form, with only a faint white aura bursting up around him, but let flow an energy that nearly rivaled the half-saiyan's own ability without transforming.

_Looks like whatever he's been doing in the afterlife has paid off tremendously. I've busted my ass these last seven years and he's managed to stay even with me… Or even more powerful perhaps._

In spite of himself, he felt an excited apprehension well up in him. The possibility that he would get to fight his father made itself known as he glanced at the bracket, and he felt a fire in his gut that he hadn't felt in a long time: That same desire to test himself against a worthy opponent that he had felt in his toughest fights. The deeply buried Saiyan side of him that longed for battle to entertain himself, not for the necessity of the fight. Knowing full well what happens when he lets that side of him take control, he forced the thought from his mind, allowing the disgust at his own nature to wash over him for only a moment before returning his attention to the fight.

Goku shifted his stance completely, pulling from his years of fighting experience under so many masters into a stance completely foreign to Gohan. He grinned at the android confidently, who in turn paled slightly at the look he gave her. Without any sign that he was going to move, Goku shot forward, closing the distance to the Android rapidly. She barely managed to block the wide round-house kick sent at her before he was raining down attack after attack on her. She was fast, but not nearly quick enough to block every punch that he sent her way, or every kick, and with each one that landed, she began to tire.

Much to Gohan's shock, his father didn't seem to be losing momentum, and quickly drove 18 to the edge of the ring. She halted with her heels against the edge of the tile, her eyes darting to and fro looking for a way out. She waited for Goku to strike again, and dodged to the outside of his kick in a bid to get around him. But she hadn't planned on him carrying through with the kick all the way around so that he was suddenly facing her again while she was still in mid-air. She read the shift in his weight and saw the punch coming, but didn't have enough time to maneuver herself out of its way with her ki. She crossed her arms before her instinctively and took the punch right in the middle of it. The force of the strike slammed into her chest, stunning her momentarily as gravity began to do its work.

She was jolted from her dazed state when her back hit the hard surface of the Earth, sending spots dancing before her eyes and forcing the breath out of her. She propped herself up on her elbows, glaring at Goku incredulously.

_Can I really be that outclassed by the very fighter I was created to destroy? It doesn't seem possible that he could have defeated me! I had him against the wall, what happened?!_

_ "And 18 is out of the ring, which makes Goku the winner! There you have it folks, even twenty years later, Goku Son still has what it takes to put us all in a state of awe! I don't know about you, but the two of them were moving so quickly that I had trouble following them! But one thing is for certain, we could _all _feel the raw power coming from them both. What a match!"_

Amidst all the cheering, Goku released the flow of energy, his clear aura dying out quickly and his care free grin falling back into place. He knelt at the edge of the ring, beaming down at the android and offering her a hand. She hesitated, still lost in thought about what had just happened, but took it regardless. He pulled her up, assisting her back into the ring and patting her on the shoulder. She brushed her shoulder length hair over her ear, looking curiously up at him.

"Okay Goku, explain to me what you just did. I had you beat, and then all of a sudden you just… knock me out of the ring like it's nothing. Without transforming, no less. Why? How?"

He nervously scratched the back of his neck, bearing the Son grin at her with a light chuckle.

"Well, I admit I was surprised by how strong you were. For a moment I was worried that I would have to transform to take you, but I decided to wait and watch. After a while I figured out how much it would take and… Well I just opened up the flow that much! I matched my ki to yours… Or I tried to anyways, it's hard to tell. Heh heh."

The android quirked an eyebrow at him, clearly skeptical.

"I find it incredible that you didn't have to transform to match my strength, but you obviously did not. So even if you matched mine perfectly, how did you brush aside my defenses so easily?"

"Well, you were taught how to fight me seven years ago right? I just used a fighting style I developed in other-world! You didn't know how to stop it because it was different!"

She continued to glare at him for a moment longer, her face an impassive mask. Her eyes narrowed, and a knowing smirk graced her features as she crossed her arms.

"You really are something else, you know that? I can see why Dr. Gero had so much trouble with you. This was… Fun… Were there the chance, I would like to fight you again."

Without waiting for a response, she turned and left the arena. Goku suddenly realized the obnoxious level of noise assaulting his ears from the crowd, and winced. He waved cautiously to the crowd, earning a surge of noise in return. Deciding that his ears had had enough, he walked quickly from the raised platform, returning to the waiting area. Immediately, he was greeted by the slightly shocked expressions of many of his friends. Krillin was the first to speak, his words barely containing the awe that filled him.

"Goku, bro, that was awesome! I mean shoot, back when the androids showed up, you and Vegeta had to go super to deal with them, and now… Now you don't even look winded, and you won just like that! I tell you what, you Saiyans are a rare type! Oh man, I can't wait to see you three go at it!"

He hesitated, glancing over at his wife, who was making a point of avoiding his eye.

"Just, don't let any of us little bugs get in the way when you all really get into it okay?"

Goku laughed, scratching at his neck again under the combined gaze he was receiving.

_"Next up, we have Satan City's very own super hero; Bardock! He will be competing against another newcomer to the tournament scene; Yamu!"_

Gohan perked up as his alias' name was called, and glanced towards the rest of the group. They nodded at him encouragingly, none of them doubting the outcome of the match. Videl clapped him on the back, smiling up at him warmly.

"Go get'im _Bardock_. I'll still be here when you get back."

Gohan smirked behind his mask, fighting the urge to embrace the short woman, and turned to leave. He nearly bumped into his opponent, who he noted was glaring at Goku's back with a hard expression. Immediately, his defensive side kicked in again, and he stepped forward into Yamu's line of sight, blocking his father from him with his broad form. He shot a glare that said "keep moving or else" towards the shorter man. Yamu returned the glare for a second more before continuing on his way out the door to the arena.

_I don't like it… Yamu and Spopovich were already glaring at Shin and Kibito, and now they have their eyes set on dad… I would dismiss it as coincidence, but it just had to be dad… _

Quickly making up his mind, he slightly leaned towards Videl, who was still at his side and glaring after Yamu as well.

"Keep an eye on the four wackos would you? There's a bigger picture to all of this, and it seems to be centered around my dad now. They can't kill him since he's already dead, but I would rather be safe…"

"Of course."

He nodded, glad that he had someone he trusted keeping an eye out for him, and followed after the pale fighter. The crowd erupted into loud cheers at the sight of him as he stepped into the light, and he could feel the beginnings of a headache start to set in.

_"As many of you may know, Bardock is a masked fighter who protects Satan City alongside Videl Satan. Nobody knows who he really is or where he comes from, but we have all surely seen the incredible feats of strength that he is capable of. Amongst his known abilities, he can fly, shoot beams of light from his hands, and who hasn't seen the footage of him tossing a pickup truck through the air with what appears to be no effort? Yes ladies and Gentlemen, our unknown newcomer, Yamu, certainly has his work cut out for him. Does he have what it takes to tackle the super-powered vigilante? Let's find out!"_

The announcer killed the mic and turned to leave the ring, passing Gohan on the way.

"Please, no killing Bardock?"

Gohan irritably waved him off, grunting his acknowledgement. He didn't have any plans for killing anyone today, but that was always subject to change. He considered his opponent for a moment, thinking the best way to deal with him. Yamu looked tough, but what Gohan could feel of his ki was puny in comparison to his own. Despite his disappointment at the lack of a good match, he could feel his Saiyan side burning in his gut, begging for the fight.

_Oh maybe I'll just have a little fun with him… Besides, if this guy is anything like his buddy, then he'll be able to take a hit or two. _

Yamu settled into an aggressive boxing stance, while Gohan simply stood there watching him, amusement bubbling up in him. The announcer waited a moment for Gohan to do likewise, but after a few seconds, gave up and waved at the monks. The gong sounded and the match began.

Yamu made the first move, letting forth a battle-cry and lunging forward. His rear hand shot forward in a straight punch, aimed directly for Gohan's face. The demi's eyes narrowed as the fist approached, and he just barely leaned to the side, dodging the attack and simultaneously striking Yamu with an open palm to the ribs. The shorter man staggered backwards, nursing his bruised ribs and glaring at Gohan hard. Behind his mask, the demi was smirking menacingly.

_Oh yea, I can definitely have fun with this guy._

***BACK IN THE WAITING AREA***

Goku cocked his head to the side as he watched his son fight. So far, Yamu had been the only one to actually attack this round, and each time he was lazily countered by the demi-saiyan. But the match had already gone for a minute, far longer than Gohan needed to finish the fight. Beyond that, he was slightly startled by the change in technique since the last time he had seen the boy fight.

"I don't get it, what's he doing? It's not like him to just… play with his opponent."

No sooner had the words fallen from his mouth than he realized that he truly had no clue what his son was like now. Seven long years was more than enough time for someone to change completely. Vegeta, who was watching Gohan with a smirk plastered on his face and his arms crossed, looked towards the taller Saiyan out the corner of his eye.

"Kakarot your brat has grown up, and he would make a fine Saiyan warrior were our planet still intact. Don't worry he's still a little goody goody, but if you ever have the misfortune to fight him, he is ruthless. He's having some fun with this Yamu character, so let him."

"Well yea, I saw a bit of that with Cell remember? It still just doesn't seem like him…"

Vegeta turned his head fully to consider him, his smirk giving way to a serious scowl.

"Look Kakarot, I'm not going to lie to you, the brat didn't take to your death easily, and he's changed. I'm sure you noticed that he doesn't fight like you anymore? He refused to even acknowledge he was your son for many years, insisting that he had, quote-unquote, 'lost that right' on the day that you died. I don't know what you were expecting when you were told you were coming back…"

He trailed off as the crowd outside went nuts, cheering as the demi finally bored of his opponent and lazily kicked him from the ring. Vegeta snorted in amusement and returned his attention to the other Saiyan.

"But be glad that he's taken this all as well as he has. Believe it or not, the reception you got today is a far-cry than any of us expected from him, considering his past. He could have easily snapped and blasted the whole planet into oblivion. And Dende forbid if her were mad at you for leaving… Well, as I already stated, he is ruthless. And being the most powerful being in the known universe is a horrible mix with ruthless. He would put the theory that you can't die again if you have that halo over your head to the test."

**A/N: There you go! I know, I skimmed over a couple of the fights there, but they're only the first round fights! The next chapter is where the juicy stuff happens. Now, who caught the Monty Python reference? I couldn't resist haha! Like I said, I'm going to try to get the next one up here before I leave, until then: have fun and you all have a wonderful day!**


	25. Mutant

**Hey all! So I managed to get this one finished and edited a lot quicker than I anticipated. I got some free time, so here it is! It's a lot longer than I originally intended, but believe me it could have been even longer. Now before I give anything away out of apprehension; On to the story! R&R and enjoy!**

**Chapter 25: Mutant**

Vegeta let his statement sink in fully, finally striking home in that idiot Kakarot's brain as he watched his son approach. In a way, he loved the torment that the thought must have caused the younger Saiyan, after all, he had committed his entire life after his first visit to Earth to besting him. But at the same time, he had grown quite fond of Gohan, nearly as much as his own son, and he could only imagine what he would have felt if Trunks had gone so far astray from what he'd expected of him. As it was, Gohan had gone far beyond what the prince had ever imagined him being, and loathe though he was to admit it, none struck more fear into him than the Demi. It was no wonder to him that the boy's fool father would be a little put out by the change.

He chose to try and placate the Saiyan, imagining in his head what the woman would say if she found out he was torturing him instead.

_Vegeta you... Complete and… total… fucking dickhead! He gets one day back and you have to go and be your stupid shitheaded princy self! Now what do you think Gohan is going to do to you? You just had to go and ruin his one day he had with his father!_

He smirked at the thought of her tirade, had he acted on his impulses. But no, she had done her work on him well over the years. In spite of himself, even the thought of doing such a thing stirred a deeply buried feeling of guilt, mostly for the effect it would have on the eldest Demi-Saiyan.

_Damn woman has made me soft…_

"Gohan is still the good guy Kakarot, I can assure you of that. He's done all he can to fill your shoes in your absence, and as much as I regret to say it, he has surpassed the both of us in his role. He's made a strong guardian for this planet, rendering all your old friends effectively as useful as that afro'd idiot up there in the boxes."

Videl huffed, scowling and crossing her arms at him with an irritable glare.

"You know, despite my problems with that 'afro'd idiot', he is still my father. Be nice."

Vegeta mimicked her posture, sneering down at her.

"Or what girl? I admit, to think that that buffoon contributed to make you is hard to believe considering he took a dive in the shallow end of the gene pool…"

He internally applauded himself for the irritable roll of her eyes the subtle compliment-slash-insult earned.

"But disregarding that, you couldn't hurt me if you wanted to. I trust you are aware of our heritage, considering that you and the brat are mated?"

Her eyes snapped wide open and her jaw dropped at the statement, catching him off guard. He didn't let his own surprise show however, keeping his face neutral.

_Are they not? The boy has been at her for weeks now, what the hell is he waiting for?!_

"M-mated? What the hell does that mean?"

He disregarded her question, startling her by stepping in close and glaring at her neck on both sides just to confirm his thoughts. Sure enough, there was no mark on either side.

"Wha-… What the hell Vegeta? You find anything interesting I need to know about, or should I just kick you between the legs now?"

He halted his inspection, quirking an amused eyebrow at her fiery statement. She really was a feisty one, and immediately he felt the respect for her resurge in him. Truly, they boy had picked a good mate. Now if he would only make it official and do the damn deed! Then it occurred to him that she didn't know of their mating rituals.

"So he hasn't told you about us yet then?"

She crossed her arms, obviously in discomfort and self-consciousness. She glanced around the room nervously, making sure that their conversation wouldn't fall on unfitting ears.

"I know that you and Goku are Saiyans – the last two full blooded Saiyans – and that Gohan and the other three are hybrids. I know a bit about your transformation, but only from what I've seen Gohan do and… From the Cell games."

He stood straight, glaring into her eyes with a smug expression. She wasn't as familiar with Saiyans as he had predicted, but neither was she completely ignorant. She seemed contemplative for a moment, looking between his smirking face and Goku's distant expression, hesitating with a question clearly bursting to come forth.

"Well, spit it out girl!"

She started at his statement, caught off guard by his harsh tone.

"It's… something you said earlier… About Gohan? You said he was the most powerful in the universe… I mean I know he's strong, but…"

He couldn't help but chuckle at her words, surely she had to have known of how powerful he really was? But then, she had only known him for half a year, and who knows how long she'd actually known about his lineage.

"Here's your history lesson for the day girl. Gohan. Is. A. Legend. Killer. Within his own rights, he is a legend himself. Years ago when his uncle came to this planet, he was the one to deliver the blow that would prove his downfall, at four years old. When I arrived, it was he who ultimately toppled me from my position as the Elite Saiyan at age five. _He _fought off one of the most powerful tyrants in this galaxy and many of his minions at age six. _He _fought with, on more than one occasion, _the _Super-Saiyan of legend; The second time, overpowering him and killing him at age sixteen. _And _he fought Cell at age eleven, who I am still disgusted to say, was literally a combination of all the most powerful beings that were on this planet at the time, including all of us Saiyans… So no, I do not exaggerate when I say that he is the most powerful being in the universe, and every time he fights, win or lose, he only gets stronger. He has the ability to wipe out entire star systems in one go, so..."

A thick silence reigned over the group after his tirade. None had heard him speak so passionately about anything besides his own ego. But he was more intrigued by her reaction to his statement; nothing. Nothing at all was what she showed for the information that had just been dumped on her. It was like someone had simply hit the "off" switch on her.

"You should feel proud of yourself girl, you've managed to tame him."

"That's enough Vegeta…"

The low growl ate away at his amusement quicker than a ki blast from the same man who had uttered the dangerously toned words. He stepped back from the girl, composing his face into the best neutral glare he could and taking in the teen. Just as every other time the boy had said anything to him in such a menacing manner, an unbidden sense of panic jolted through his stomach, but he fought to ignore it.

"Tell me boy, why haven't you done it yet? You know as well as I that it is unavoidable now… Surely you remember _that _from our discussions?"

His glare was unrelenting, his crossed arms and stock-straight back giving away no hint of backing down.

"We're not going to talk about this right now Vegeta, now…"

He strode closer to the short prince, sending the urge to flee from him to the fore-front of his mind. But he held his ground, stubbornly glaring right back just like he always would. When Gohan's voice came again, it was surprisingly less menacing, though no less serious.

"If you're done with your class for the day, you've got the next fight _your highness._ I don't know how powerful this guy is, but if Shin is any indication, he's probably pretty tough. Call it a hunch, but don't play around with him…"

"I don't need your advice on how to fight brat, I've been doing it since before your father was even conceived."

"Right, because that's helped you in so many occasions…"

"Bah! Shut up!"

He let the frustration fuel him, storming away from the group and tugging on the fighting gloves he had donned for the fight irritably. He knew Gohan was right about his past performances, though he'd never admit it. Despite his tactical genius, which he was proud to say was one of his most defining features, he had made critical errors in many of his battles. The worst of which still haunted him to this day: Not killing Cell when he had the chance to, before he had absorbed that damned blonde android. He'd never let the boy know it out loud, but he intended fully on following his advice. This Kibito character was an unknown, completely unpredictable. He would indeed need to be brought down quickly if he was to get to his fight with Kakarot.

***ACROSS THE ROOM***

"Master, this is not going to work. We still don't understand what those two are after. More than that, the green one already knows who you are. This is getting more and more precarious the longer we go."

Shin clasped his hands behind his back, furrowing his brow and watching Vegeta grumble to himself as he made his way towards the entrance. They were indeed treading on thin ice as it was, but their situation was dire.

"Yes I understand your worries Kibito, but we need to flush them out of hiding. I've got a hunch that they will need energy, and these Saiyans… I was planning on finding a way to get Goku to transform, and in the process, force their hands. But if we can get another target…"

"Is that wise? Vegeta has not been known for his cooperative nature. You yourself saw this over the course of his life. It is unlikely that he will simply transform because I ask it of him. Worse, it might clue them in to our intentions."

"Kibito we don't have many options left. We're running out of time, and I'm sure that Babidi will have… alternate plans set in motion. Even if my assumption about Yamu's and Spopovich's mission is incorrect, there is bound to be a backup plan buried away in that monster's head. We need to force his move before he can outmaneuver us. We _have _to act!"

The words rang true in his partner's head; that much he was certain of. But he knew what could result of action he was requesting from his tall bodyguard. Not one to give up entirely in the event of a failure, he continued.

"If Vegeta does not transform for you, then… We need to get Goku to transform, and I've got a hunch that the prince is the best way to do it. I will leave that call to your judgment if the time comes. Though I am fully aware you could win easily against him in his base form, this mission matters too much for that now."

_"Now, ladies and gentlemen, for the final match of the first round… We have two newcomers to the world martial arts scene: Vegeta and Kibito!"_

He took one last look to his pink friend, nodding to him reassuringly. The giant of a man inhaled deeply, focusing ahead of him to where his opponent was already making his way to the ring.

"What if this doesn't work? Surely Spopovich and Yamu are aware of our presence. What if they flee?"

"Then we shall give chase, and hope they lead us to the wizard. But I doubt they will until after they've gotten what they come for."  
With a defeated grunt, Kibito clenched his fists and began making his way out to the ring, carefully avoiding the glare of one Gohan Son. Masking his uncertainty, he strode confidently into the ring to face off against the Saiyan prince. The announcer did his usual routine, introducing the fighters to the crowd with all the information he knew, or in this case, the lack thereof. But neither of the fighters were paying him any attention, sizing each other up with their respective glares. Kibito summoned his resolve, crossing his arms before him and doing as the supreme Kai requested of him.

"Vegeta… Show me your super-Saiyan form."

A visible jolt of surprise shook the Saiyan prince, and immediately his expression became fierce. He cocked his head to the side to take in the tall pink man from a different angle, and crossed his arms defiantly.

"How…? You know of the legendary transformation? What is it to you?"

"That is inconsequential now. Just show me your true power."

Vegeta continued to glare at him for a moment, wincing irritably when the gong suddenly sounded. Neither of them moved for a moment, and Vegeta chanced a quick look towards the waiting area, his face an impassive mask. His eyes returned to the pink giant, and his face cracked into a smug sneer.

"No, I don't think I will…"

His arms uncrossed and he glowered up at the pink man, his shoulders hunching as his ki skyrocketed. The veins in his arms bulged with the sudden increase of blood flow as his heart rate climbed with his temper.

"You think you can just come in here and tell me, the prince of all saiyans, what to do? Oh no, I will beat you, and I will do it WITHOUT giving you the satisfaction of seeing me have to transform to do it!"

Kibito wasn't entirely sure if that last comment was actually directed at him or not, considering what he could feel going on in the Saiyan's mind. But before he could act on it, Vegeta let forth a blue-white aura and lunged towards him. Kibito stepped back into a defensive stance, determined to get through to the Saiyan yet.

_If I cannot get you to transform on request, I'll just give you a reason to._

Vegeta's initial attack was swift, even quicker than Kibito could have previously given him credit for in his base form. The straight punch directed towards his sternum nearly mad contact before he managed to redirect it with a block of his elbow. He snapped the same arm that he had blocked with forward in a hammer-fist directed at the Saiyan's exposed face, only to have him duck under it and forcefully drive his shoulder up and under his rib cage. Kibito grunted in pain as the air left his lungs before he took advantage of the smaller man's vulnerability. He grabbed the short Saiyan around the middle, trapping his arms at his sides and flipping him up so that he was inverted, enveloped in a bear hug.

"Augh! Put me down you great big ape!"

Kibito quirked an eyebrow at that, a fleeting flash of amusement toying with his mind. To be called an ape by one who literally was an ape of sorts… The irony was palpable. Dismissing the statement without another thought, he growled and dropped his weight to his knees, slamming the short man into the tile with a loud thud and a grunt.

"I admit, I'm impressed Vegeta. You managed to hit me. Don't worry, it won't happen again."

He tried to force as much malice and venom into the words as he could, knowing full well the pride of the Saiyan race. If there was one thing he had always admired of the primal species, it was the raw determination and desire to win that fueled them. And Vegeta was a prime specimen of a Saiyan, with several past instances showing exactly how prideful the prince was.

_If there's one way to make him transform, it should definitely be a blow to his ego._

The prince pushed himself up from the hard tile, snarling at the tall pink man. He had definitely struck a chord in him, now it was time to see if it would bear fruit. Kibito readied himself for the onslaught, and come it did. Vegeta shot forward again and again, attacking with all he had, while Kibito countered and sent him back time and time again. But for the life of him, the Saiyan would not transform. Deciding that a change of tactics was in order, Kibito went on the offensive. He transitioned flawlessly, mid-fight, into a completely different style of fighting. Vegeta staggered backwards, countering the attacks as best he could. His eyes darted back and forth, searching for a solution to this new predicament.

"Why. Won't. You. Trans-form?"

Kibito could barely contain his frustration. Despite outward appearances, his mind was not nearly as calm and collected as his masters. After all, he was significantly younger than the Supreme Kai, and had not mastered the mental control that the short purple man held.

Vegeta's demeanor changed for a moment between attacks, and Kibito saw something click into place in his eyes. Realization of defeat perhaps…? Maybe it would be just a little more until the short man gave into the urges that were clearly plaguing him. He pressed the attack, tapping into the reservoir of ki he had at his disposal and pushing a little harder on the prince, forcing him to the edge of the ring. He swung a left, a right, and then another left, and much to his surprise, Vegeta didn't even attempt to change direction. Something felt off in the actions of the prince, and suddenly he wasn't there anymore. Kibito felt him reappear directly behind him and felt a cold shock as he realized that the short man had simply leapt over him with a little bit of ki control.

He growled fiercely and spun, throwing his fist out in a back-handed strike aimed at where he assumed the prince's head would be without drawing even more of his strength, to find it sail straight over the spiky black hair as the prince crouched down. Suddenly, he was open, with his entire front exposed to his opponent. Vegeta smirked with the impending victory and shot up and forward, slamming his fist under Kibito's jaw with a mighty upper-cut. Sure, maybe the prince hadn't transformed, but he still packed one hell of a wallop, one that Kibito was sure to be feeling later. He floated backwards, contemplating his next move as time slowed to a stop.

_Vegeta and Goku. Supreme Kai believes that Vegeta will make Goku transform, or the other way around. Loathe though I am to just… lose… Perhaps he is right. Just let it-_

His thoughts were sharply cut off when the ball of ki slammed into his gut, detonating with a thunderclap and sending him plowing into the ground below. During the instance that he had been contemplating what he should do, Vegeta had decided for him. The screams of the crowd slowly began to refocus over the ringing in his ears. His sight came back just as quickly to see the Saiyan glaring down at him arrogantly.

"I told you pinky, I will not transform because you ask of it. I'm guessing now that you knew of the Legend because of Kakarot, but since you do you should know full well what we are capable of… A word of caution: Don't fuck with us."

With that stated, he turned and quietly left the stage under the watchful eye of the crowd. The announcer seemingly jumped back to life, hopping up on the stage and waving his arm towards the retreating form of the prince.

_"Well ladies and gentlemen, you just saw it yourselves! With a rather explosive ending, Vegeta knocked Kibito from the ring in what could only be described as a David and Goliath type match! Don't under-estimate the short ones folks, they're proving to be top competitors today!"_

***IN THE WAITING AREA***

Gohan carefully inspected everything he just witnessed, replaying it in his mind. Vegeta had won, there was no doubt about it, but it felt wrong. He was curious to know what had gotten the prince all fired up before the round had even started, and carefully scrutinized every detail he could imagine. Kibito was a fantastic fighter, of that there was no doubt. His technique rivaled that of Shin's, though in the brief glimpses of the tall man's ki he could grasp, he was significantly stronger than the shorter man. Though at this point it was still just speculation. Yet if it were true that he was that much more powerful, then how had Vegeta won with so much apparent ease? Something just felt off about the whole situation. He glanced over to where Shin was and was rather surprised to see him wearing a cool smile.

_Okay that's weird, his friend just got beaten, with ease, and he's smiling… Too much coincidence, it had to have been planned._

He glanced at the bracket, curious as to the turnout that these events would bring. His eyes locked onto Goku's name momentarily, scratched next to 17's on the bracket. Then Bardock, and now Vegeta.

_But why want him to fight me? What do they have to gain by having him fight me? Unless they want him to fight with dad? But even then, unless they want to demolish the island, there's no reason for it. Gah this is fucking irritating! What the hell do they want?_

"Kakarot. Brat. Come here now."

The gruff voice of the prince pulled him from his musings, but served to blacken his mood further. He could feel the throb of his headache starting to get worse as he glared at him irritably. But obviously he had something to tell them, and so he joined his father and the shorter Saiyan. The prince glanced around and dropped his voice, something flashing in his eyes that Gohan had rarely ever seen; Concern.

"The big one wanted me to transform."

The simple statement sent a jolt down Gohan's spine, and immediately his eyes found their way to the large pink man as he made his way back inside to stand with his partner. Sure it kinda made sense that Shin and Kibito would know about the transformation, after all, they had picked a Saiyan to come to earth. Specifically the first Super Saiyan of this generation. But there was absolutely no reason for any of them to transform here, not to mention that it was downright dangerous. Goku on the other hand didn't seem surprised in the least, sighing heavily and planting his hands on his hips.

"I had a feeling that was part of the reason they were after me. I'm by no means the best fighter that was in otherworld, but I certainly had the upper hand in the power department. They probably want us to transform for a reason though… I wonder why."

Gohan nodded in agreement, fitting another piece of the puzzle into place. Shin and Kibito wanted one of them to transform, and what better way than to pitch a pair of Super Saiyans against each other in a tournament? But then, Ria had transformed earlier in the ring hadn't she? He voiced his concerns, trying to fit the pieces together as he went.

"They can't just be after a Super Saiyan though, or something would have happened when Ria transformed. They couldn't be after the levels beyond could they?"

The three of them were lost in their own thoughts for a moment, contemplating the bizarre duo and their intentions. One thing that they all agreed on without needing the others' verbal consent, was that they would not transform just because those two desired it. Then Gohan noticed, just barely out the corner of his eye, a most peculiar sight.

Spopovich looked like he was suddenly brain-dead, sitting on the bench with limp limbs and staring off into nothing in front of him with his mouth hanging open slightly. Yamu on the other hand, was apparently arguing with the wall, talking animatedly in hushed tones that were too quiet for him to hear. On top of that, it appeared that Shin also had taken notice of the one-way conversation, and was glaring… yes definitely glaring at the duo.

_"Now onto the second round of the championships! We have the winner of our first match, Krillin, versus Shin! Fighters, get on back out here!"_

He banished the thought from his mind, deciding he would follow his father's lead in encouraging the short ex-monk, who appeared a shade paler than normal. They rejoined the main party, most of which looked at the three of them quizzically, but didn't voice the question they all wanted to ask. Immediately, Gohan felt the warm presence of Videl scoot close to him again, brushing her shoulder against his arm as she came to rest next to him. He smiled softly, glad just to have her presence with him here. His mind was so clouded and his frustration was running rampant. It was soothing to have her scent, her calming ki, her warming heat next to him.

He sighed, clapping his godfather on the shoulder as he passed before him, trudging towards the exit to the room like a man being sent to the gallows.

"Hey, give him hell Krillin. You can take him."

Krillin paused, considering him with a sad smile before continuing on his way out the door after Shin. The gathered Z-fighters clustered around the windows, watching his progress out to the ring carefully. Videl settled herself against him slightly, to the outside of the group, leaning against the window frame with her shoulder against his and a curious expression on her face. He already knew what was coming, but it still sent a chill through his limbs.

"What Vegeta said… Is it true?"

He didn't look at her, instead choosing to watch his godfather as he squared off against Shin in the ring.

"Which bit?"

"What do you mean, which bit? I don't doubt for a second the stories he spouted, all the enemies, including himself. You already mentioned that to me. But this… insane idea that you are… I mean the whole universe?"

A sense of dread flooded through his veins at the incredulous tone in her voice. He wasn't prepared to tell her that little detail just yet. He didn't think she was prepared for it yet, and it showed in her voice, at least to him. But the cat was already out of the bag, no sense in trying to hide it.

"As we know it…? Yes, actually. Until recently, that title belonged to Broly. He was the legend that Vegeta spoke of, hence why he called me a legend killer."

An uncomfortable silence settled over them, and he could feel her eyes boring into the side of his head, but he dare not turn to look into those cerulean orbs. He feared what emotions would be evident in their gaze. Fear. That's the last thing he wanted her to feel about him, especially since that day; she had really thought he was going to kill her.

"And… the other bit? He said you were capable of destroying star systems?... I mean I saw the ki blast your dad did on that footage, and it was enormous…"

She trailed off, leaving it open for him to explain. The gong out in the ring rang forth, and the match began. But he wasn't really watching, despite his desire to support his godfather and try to learn something about Shin. He considered how to say what she needed to hear in the most effective way.

"That wave, the super Kamehameha, was capable of destroying this planet Videl… And the one I used to-… to finish Cell, was magnitudes more powerful than that… Vegeta wasn't exaggerating, I have the capability to destroy this entire solar system without a trace."

He unfocused his eyes, staring into nothing as the words left him. He knew she was going to treat him like an unexploded bomb now, why wouldn't she? He had just told her, quite plainly, that there was nobody in the universe who could stand up to him. He couldn't bare the silence any longer though, and turned his gaze to meet hers. He had expected fear, maybe a flinch as his eyes connected with hers. But he had never in his wildest dreams imagined that she would be amused. Yet here she was, a smile on her lips and laughter in her eyes, with her eyebrows arching up into her messy short hair. He felt slightly hurt, wondering if she hadn't taken his words seriously.

"What?"

She shook her head from side to side and gripped his upper arm, holding herself against him and clearing her throat.

"Oh… nothing… Just wondering how, of anyone in this entire universe, little old me caught your eye. I mean, after all, I'm just a little human girl on a tiny ball of dirt in this universe…"

Relief flooded him. That she was making light of the magnitude of the bomb that had been dropped on her spoke for the girl's rational mindset. He let out the breath he was unintentionally holding and nearly gave in to the urge to laugh.

"Well, if I remember right, you came after me actually."

She rolled her eyes irritably and nudged him in the side with her elbow.

"Yea, yea. Whatever. Just remember, Mr. Universe, that this little Human girl will still whip your ass any day, one way or another."

Suddenly, a burst of ki caught his attention before disappearing rapidly again into its usual un-readable form. His eyes snapped to focus on the short purple man in the ring, cutting the rest of the world from his senses.

***IN THE RING – MINUTES BEFORE***

Krillin wiped the nervous sweat from his brow using the wrist band on his right wrist and glared at his opponent, doing his absolute best to contain the apprehension building in his gut. Shin was the epitome of apathy, his face betraying absolutely no sign of emotion as he waited patiently for the round to begin. Krillin could hear the announcer talking, but wasn't hearing a word he said. In his mind he was going through all the things he'd seen Shin do against Piccolo, trying to measure just how tough an opponent he was really facing.

_Okay, so Piccolo said he's far more powerful than we imagined. But Piccolo exaggerates sometimes right? I mean, he didn't seem _that _strong when Piccolo fought him, it just looked like the big guy had an off day! Still, all the same, I'd better not hold back against him. Just remember everything you've trained yourself for Krillin, you have a prize to win so you can finally get away from Roshi! Yea, just remember the prize!_

He swallowed past the nervous lump in his throat, steeling himself against his rebelling body, and dropped into his usual stance; a blend of Turtle form and the Western Monk's style. Shin's neutral façade dissipated as his expression took on an amused air, and he settled into his own bizarre stance. They only stood there for a moment before the gong sounded, leaving a ringing sensation in the ex-monk's ears.

Krillin went on the attack immediately, opening wide the tap on his ki and sending forth a dim white aura. The energy filled his limbs, and he immediately sped right by Shin's defenses, getting in extremely close to the purple man before he could react properly. Krillin's fist found it's mark, striking Shin under the chin, snapping his head up and sending him stumbling backwards. Krillin was so stunned that he had hit so easily that he hesitated. Realizing his narrowing window of opportunity to keep up his advantage, he pressed on, but too late. Shin's eyes found him again, and his face set determinedly with a confident smirk.

Krillin's punches came in just as fast, but Shin effectively countered most of them before they could reach their intended target. Quickly realizing that he was getting nowhere, he shifted his attack, favoring the lightning fast kicks and softening blows of the monk's form of fighting to the Turtle school's heavier strikes. Shin did not immediately catch the change, and Krillin was rewarded with several hits to the short man. A quick punch to the ribs, a kick to the inside of the thigh, a back-hand to the side of the head; none of his attacks were particularly powerful, but combined, they began to take their toll. Shin shifted backwards with the attacks, his eyes concentrating on every move with a steely glint. Krillin noticed the edge of the ring approaching fast, and unleashed the full potential of his ki, forcing the dam open as far as he could. He rained down his lightning fast attacks, focusing on his opponent and making the attacks hit home more and more often. He felt a bubble swell in his chest as they got closer and closer to the edge of the ring, and dared to think that he had it in the bag.

Then Shin flipped on him one-eighty. Between attacks, he took his opportunity to drop back out of range of Krillin's over-extended kick, and thrust his hand forward in a claw with a loud "HAA!". Krillin felt the force of the ki-wave strike him in the chest, forcing him back several feet before he could regain his balance. The invisible ki wave had done its job well, and Krillin growled in irritation.

_Darn! I was so close too! Okay keep it together Krillin, you've done it once, you can do it again._

He squatted further down in his stance, coiling his legs to spring forth and resume his attack, eyeing his opponent for any further weaknesses he could find as they both regained their breath. Shin however, took matters into his own hands, spreading his feet to a horse-riding stance, with his fists planted at his sides. His brow furrowed, and for the first time, Krillin could clearly see the man's ki, if only for a split second.

_Crap-crap-_crap_! Where in the world did all that come from?! Has he been playing me this whole time? Oh, this is about to get really ugly!  
_A burst of air slammed Krillin in the face, making him wince and raise his arms before him in an attempt to deflect most of the gust. When he dropped his hands enough to see his opponent, Shin had let forth a red aura, and was squatting back into his normal stance. A chord of recognition rang in the former monk's head, but he didn't have time to think about it, as Shin suddenly went on the offensive. Where Krillin had the advantage before-hand, Shin now quickly surpassed him. His eyes tracked most of the purple man's movements, but they were so alien and erratic, he was unable to guess accurately where each attack was going to come from.

He staggered back, dumbfounded by the sudden explosion in speed. Each block sent a jolt up the limb that met his attacks, and Krillin found himself quickly running out of energy. In a desperate bid to get some relief from the onslaught, he slammed his ki downwards, shooting into the air and panting in an attempt to regain his breath. He glared down at Shin, who narrowed his eyes up at the ex-monk before squatting low. Krillin felt a pang of fear as he realized what the purple man was about to do, and attempted to get his guard up in time.

Shin shot skywards towards him, faster than Krillin anticipated and leaving a faint red streak behind him. Not one to be outdone, Krillin sent a preemptive kick down towards Shin, predicting where he should have been. But Shin simply rolled under the attack, flipping himself over in mid-air and connecting with a hard kick right between Krillin's shoulder blades. The force of the kick sent him flying towards the ground like a meteor, and with a pained yelp, he made contact.

He hit the tile towards the edge of the ring, cracking it with the force of his impact before bouncing once and rolling to a stop in the grass outside the ring.

***IN THE WAITING AREA***

Gohan stared hard at the form of his godfather, who had finally stopped outside of the ring. He waited a moment to be sure that he was alright, and immediately felt relief flood him when the short fighter stood and brushed himself off with a downcast expression. The crowd was going absolutely nuts, marveling at the show they had just witnessed. Or rather, the show that they had tried to witness. Krillin was already famous for the fight he had with master Roshi back in the twenty-first tournament, where the two of them moved faster than the spectators could track. But the show they just put on for them was far beyond what he was capable as a thirteen year old. The audience didn't need to see every attack though; they could feel the force in their gut every time the two of them made contact. The lights, the flying, it all made sure the crowd was entertained.

But for the Z-fighters, all they could do was carefully watch Shin, who had momentarily slipped up and revealed his ki. The depth of the energy at his disposal was mind-bogglingly huge, and Gohan wasn't entirely sure whether or not even his own was even. That wasn't what immediately stuck out in the demi's mind however, it was how the short man used it. The boost in strength, the drastic increase in speed, the red aura; he'd seen it all before. He glanced up at the purple being and instantly felt his face twist into a snarl.

_The kaio-ken technique. The fighting form of the Kais. I was right, I have to be right! Piccolo knows it too, that's why he wouldn't tell me who he is!_

Apparently, his thoughts were obvious in his expression, because Goku grasped onto his shoulder firmly, catching his attention and forcing him to lock eyes with his father. Long gone was his care-free expression, replaced by the rarely worn grim scowl he only wore in desperate situations.

"Hey! Don't even think about it Gohan! I already know what you're thinking, and we don't know that for certain!"

"Dad, it's the kaio-ken! He's a kai, you have to see it too."

Goku shook his head, his eyes darting towards the subject of their discussions.

"We don't know-"

"Ask piccolo! He knows, and now I know!"

Goku spun him around so that they were face to face, gripping his shoulders hard.

"Okay, so he might be a Kai, I got it. But so what, what are you going to do to him? He's not the Grand Kai Gohan, I met him personally and Shin isn't him."

The words struck home, and Gohan could feel the rage at realizing he was in the presence of a Kai beginning to slip away to a cold emptiness. He had spent so many years wallowing in his hatred of the Grand Kai that he had automatically painted Shin with the same brush. He couldn't find it in him to do anything to the purple man, no matter how much he wanted to. Not one to totally drop his guard, he latched onto his burning hatred, but relaxed his tense muscles as he watched Shin make his way back to the waiting area.

"Nothing… Yet. He's not free yet dad, I'm still going to be watching him. One wrong move though, and…"

"And what? Gohan please, you heard what he said. When he leaves, I leave with him."

"Grrrrr! I know!"

Gohan scowled and rolled his head back, cracking his neck as he fought to control his raging mind. A thick silence settled over them as the others watched for his reaction with bated breath. He inhaled deeply and slowly let out his breath, lowering his head again and taking in his friends. All of them were either watching him apprehensively, or pretending not to be aware of the conversation at all. He turned his head to look once again at Shin, who had paused momentarily at the entrance to the room, and was watching him carefully through narrowed eyes. They clashed momentarily, and Gohan attempted to see through the mask that Shin had over his ki once more before relenting with a heavy sigh.

"Fine… For now."

The Z fighters let out a collective sigh, glad that the threat of an imminent explosion had passed. Gohan crossed his arms and turned away from them, looking back out the window and mulling it all over in his head. He vaguely felt Krillin's ki pass him as he went to settle himself on a bench, massaging the back of his head and getting fussed over by 18.

"Hey Gohan, I gotta ask… Your other name you're using; Bardock? I'm curious as to where you got it from."

The demi raised an eyebrow and looked at his father out the corner of his eye, puzzled by the change in subject. It didn't really surprise him that his father had wandered off to something else already. He always seemed to do that when the tension was thick wherever he went. It was just one of the many ways he would lighten the mood with his presence.

"Vegeta described the last moments of the Saiyan race, and of my grandfather. I figured it was appropriate for me to use your father's name as my alias since I would be wearing some of Bulma's modified Saiyan battle armor."

Goku nodded with a knowing smile, one that unconsciously made Gohan smile weakly beneath his mask.

"I met him you know… In other world?"

Gohan was a little surprised by the statement, as was Vegeta apparently. The prince pushed himself away from his place against the wall where he had been watching their interaction.

"You met your father in otherworld?"

Goku grimaced slightly at the question, scratching his head nervously and staring off into nothingness.

"Well not really otherworld… I got sent on missions to hell a couple times, and most of the Saiyans were there…"

That brought on a heavy silence as those present considered the implications of that statement. But Goku bounced back quickly, shrugging it off and grinning.

"But besides the gloomy décor, I got to meet Bardock! Actually, I met a lot of them, now that I think about it. I met my mother, Gine, and King Vegeta."

Gohan couldn't help his amused chuckle at the stunned expression on the prince's face at that.

"Wait, you met my father as well?"

"Yea! My dad, King Vegeta, Raditz, Nappa, and a few other Saiyan elites that worked with my father before they died all helped me with what I got sent there for too!"

Some of those names sent a jolt down Gohan's spine, especially his uncle's. Memories of that day, trapped inside the Saiyan space pod welled back up in him, and he glared at his father incredulously.

"Wait, you mean to tell me that your brother, the same guy who tried to kidnap me and kill you, willingly helped you? And you let him?!"

Vegeta seemed just as awe-struck as the young demi, and looked expectantly at the dead Saiyan.

"Well yea. To be honest, once all the Saiyans were reunited in hell, they sorta… what's the word I'm looking for… Repented? Of course some of them were already at that point before they died. King Vegeta and my parents tried to remove themselves from Frieza's servitude and turn their lives around, but it was too late. And considering that Bardock and Vegeta are the only other Saiyans in otherworld that have since gained the ability to go super, they pretty well keep the rest in check. Raditz didn't really have a say in the matter."

"My father can transform?"

"Hehe, yea! It's pretty funny too, since he's got that beard. It changes color too!"

Gohan snorted at that, amazed that of all the things Goku had taken away from the encounter with the Saiyans in otherworld, he remembered that their facial hair changes colors when they transform. Vegeta nodded, his eyes growing distant at the new bit of information. Videl shifted her weight to his other side, looking up at him and his father curiously. He looked back at her, raising an eyebrow in silent question to her puzzled glare.

"Sorry Gohan, I'm just trying to imagine you or… well any of you three with a beard. I mean, I've never seen a trace of facial hair on you, and Vegeta…? I could see him with a moustache, but I think that just matches his personality."

Gohan smirked at the mental image of the Saiyan prince smiling evily and twirling a thin moustache around his finger menacingly like they did in the movies.

"Well, it's pretty easy to get rid of hair if you have ki. Trust me, we're more than capable of growing facial hair, but just like you cutting your hair short, it's easier to fight without."

She seemed to consider his explanation for a moment, but was quickly pulled out of her thoughts by the loud feedback from the microphone.

_"Ladies and gentlemen, it's time for the second match of the second round! Would Videl and Spopovich please make their way to the ring?"_

The name of her opponent brought Gohan right back to the present issue, and he cast his gaze towards the behemoth, who stirred suddenly from his position on the bench across the room. He thought about what the large man had done in his first round, and felt a slight uneasiness wash over him. Videl noticed his stern glare, and nudged him in the ribs.

"Hey, don't worry about it, I can handle this guy. I'm sure of it!"

Her confident statement did nothing to quell the uneasiness he felt, but looking into those excited cerulean orbs, he couldn't bring himself to tell her otherwise. He nodded, trying to compose his face into a reassuring smile.

"Yea, I know you can… Just be careful okay?"

She nudged him playfully and began making her way out to the ring with an excited grin.

"Stop worrying about me! I'll be fine."

With that, she strode out into the sunlight and the uproarious cheers of the crowd, followed from a distance by Spopovich.

"So Gohan… You and Videl, are you two…?"

"We're not mated, if that's what you mean."

"Well… Do you want to be?"

The question forced a sigh from him. Deep down, he automatically knew the answer to that, and it was a definite yes. But then there was the part of him that always held back, no matter how much he longed for it. No matter how many times he tried to tell himself otherwise, there was a constant fear that she would be brought in harm's way if he continued down the way they were on now. He couldn't even bring himself to explain to her the full extent of what it meant to be married by Saiyan standards. As happy as his fleeting moments with the girl had been the last week, he still didn't want to make her a target. If they were to be together, she most certainly would be, and he would be powerless to do anything about it.

"I don't know dad. I really don't."

"… Well… For what it's worth, I like her. I think she'd be great for you."

Gohan sighed deeply, not responding to his words outwardly. Goku searched his son's face for a few moments, allowing the silence to settle. The gong sounded outside, and all of their attention was brought back to the ring suddenly.

***IN THE RING***

Videl sized up her opponent, sitting back in a defensive posture and allowing him the first move as the ring from the gong subsided in her ears. The crowd was deafening, but she shut it out. The only thing that mattered was the monstrosity before her.

_Okay, think this one through. He's definitely improved a lot since last time, or he wouldn't have beaten Killa so soundly… He's got at least two feet on you, and probably close to three hundred pounds… Think, what do you have? You're fast, and you've been trained for a long time to hit sensitive areas. You know how to use ki to improve your strength. If absolutely necessary, you can fly, and you can throw a ki ball. So… outmaneuver and wear him down it is then!_

No sooner had she come to that conclusion than did Spopovich make his move. His brown hair flew backwards as he stormed towards her, one arm retracted for a punch and a snarl on his face. Videl matched his action, lunging forward quickly and darting beneath his outstretched arm before he had time to react, throwing a quick one-two into his exposed side and darting back out of reach as he spun on her. She furrowed her brow, slightly annoyed that her two punches seemed to do absolutely nothing to him. He just dropped his shoulder and pounded towards her yet again, completely disregarding any technique. Yet again, she dodged out of his reach, wary of the arms that were stretched towards her, and this time finished off the maneuver with a hard round house kick that hit him right above the kidneys.

_"Ouch! That has to hurt folks! Spopovich has taken a brutal kick to the back and is struggling to regain his balance!"_

Videl backed off again as he rounded on her once more, seething through his teeth and glaring at her with hollow eyes that sent a shiver down her spine.

_Okay, that is horrifying! I get the feeling that if he gets a hold of me, it's all over. Looks like I made the right decision on how to deal with this bozo. But he's significantly slower than me, maybe I should push the offensive now._

He didn't give her time to decide, as he rushed her again. She side-stepped, brushing aside the heavy punch he flung at her, and used the momentum of his swing to counter-balance herself as she swung up on his outstretched arm. As soon as her body arced high enough, she used a little bit of ki control and flung herself over the limb, using a combination of ki and gravity to kick the behemoth hard in the back of the head. His eyes blanked and he slowly fell forward as Videl landed on her feet behind him. With a loud thud, he face-planted into the tile, coming to a halt a moment later. She breathed heavily, forcing the oxygen into her lungs to recover from the little bit of ki manipulation she had used, and glared down at him, waiting for him to budge.

_"Oh and Spopovich goes down after yet another impressive attack from Satan City's heroine! One!… Two!... Three!... Four!... And Fi-"_

The crowd screamed even louder as Spopovich stirred, an audible growl emanating from his throat as he pushed up from the ground, leaking blood from his nose onto the perfectly white tile. Videl watched, sickened, as he turned to face her, his broken nose twisted off-center from his impact with the ground. Before anyone could stop him, he reached up and grasped the protrusion and jerked it back the other way with a loud pop. Videl tasted bile on her tongue at the spectacle, staring at him in open disbelief.

_Okay, he's definitely tougher than I gave him credit for… A hit like that would have knocked most fighters out cold for hours! And what was that with his nose?! Gross!_

He began breathing faster and faster, hissing through his teeth and snarling at her. She settled back into a defensive stance again, awaiting the charge she knew was coming. Like an enraged bull, Spopovich roared in anger and full on sprinted at her, coming at her quicker than she anticipated. She leaned backwards, allowing his wide hook to pass just above her chest, ruffling her shirt as it passed over. Continuing with the motion, she planted her hands and flipped over backwards, kicking the man below the chin as she went. She planted her feet firmly and took her opportunity to strike.

She let out a battle-cry, jumping high into the air so that she was nearly level with his head, and swung her leg around hard. The kick hit him full on in the side of the face while he was still staggered and off balance, and his head snapped around sharply. Too sharply, in fact.

There was a loud, sickening snap that rang through the air, pulling an audible wince from the crowd. Spopovich turned with his head, spinning around and falling forward onto his chest with a thundering boom. Videl landed lightly and gaped at the spectacle before her. Spopovich's face was looking up at the sky, but the rest of him was front to the dirt. The shock of what she had just done wore off quickly, and she again tasted bile in her throat as waves of nausea threatened to claim her. She dry heaved, pinching her lips shut with her fist, and averted her eyes from the scene while the crowd fell into a hushed tension.

_"Oh my… Unfortunately, Spopovich appears to have… had his neck broken… I can't believe I'm saying this, but this means that Videl is dis-"_

A loud shriek filled the air, cutting off the announcer and stunning the crowd. Videl's wide eyes searched for the source of the sound, but only found the frightened looks staring right back at her. Or rather, next to her. Her heart jumped in her chest as the giant mass of muscle started moving again. She staggered backwards in shock as Spopovich pushed off the ground with his back still facing her, and his eyes locked directly with hers. No sound came from his throat, but his jaw was working furiously and his eyes were on fire.

_That… is not possible! What the fuck is he?!_

Spopovich stood fully, and reached up to grab himself under the chin, and around the back of his skull. His eyes shut in agony for a moment, and with a series of sickening pops and crunches, he twisted his head back around again so that it was facing the front. Several in the crowd screamed in absolute horror, and Videl was half-way inclined to join them. She fought to control her trembling hand, and dropped back into her stance once more. With the last of her adrenaline gone since she accidentally broke his neck, she realized just how tired she was already getting.

Spopovich wasted no time, charging her again. This time, she was less prepared, and took her first hit of the match. The brute drove his fist hard into the side of her head, and she slammed sideways into the tile before she could react. She looked up just in time to see his foot descending upon her, and rolled sideways to avoid it, springing back to her feet and preparing herself again. She could feel her movements starting to become sluggish, and her head was ringing slightly from the force of her impact with the floor. The giant was on her in moments, throwing extremely powerful punches down on her while she danced around him in a bid to stay out of his reach and countered with her own strikes.

She could feel herself slipping further and further into fatigue, and suddenly her hands were a lot heavier than they had been moments before. She glared at him, searching for how she was going to end the match quickly while she could still win. Obviously knocking him out was not an option, so she would have to get him to fall out of the ring. Just as she was about to put a plan into action to get the man out, he roared and flung his leg around in a round-house kick. Videl, in her preoccupied state of mind, was too slow to get the block up, and it struck her full on halfway between her left shoulder and elbow.

_**SNAP!**_

"AAAAAAAHHHHH!"

Never before had she ever felt such an intense pain. Not even the times she had been stabbed, or the time she had been shot, could compare to this. Several thousand white-hot blades plunged into her arm at once. Not willing to allow him to take advantage of her, she spun with the kick and stumbled away from him before he could follow. She gripped her shoulder, allowing the broken arm to hang limply by her side, fighting the tears threatening to flow from her burning eyes as she gritted her teeth. She panted repeatedly and locked eyes with her opponent.

Spopovich hadn't moved from his spot, and was glaring down at her menacingly with a sadistic grin on his face. Her knees trembled, her arm was throbbing, and her eyes were hazy from the wetness, but the look on his face ignited a rage-fueled fire in her gut, and she made up her mind quickly. Snarling up at him, she held her hand out to her side, palm up. He narrowed his eyes momentarily at her, apparently confused by her actions, right up until she pulled as much ki into it as she could. A faint buzz filled her ears as the blue ball formed in her hand, swelling to roughly the size of a softball. She focused hard, remembering the lessons learned through trial and error when practicing what she was about to do.

She growled in the back of her throat and stepped forward with her left leg, planting it firmly and locking her right one out behind her. She lunged her hand forward, throwing everything she had left behind the blast in her hand. It exploded forth with a crack like a gunshot, rapidly closing the distance to the wide eyed behemoth a mere twenty feet away. The ball struck true, impacting Spopovich center-mass and detonating with a loud bang and a bright flash. Videl struggled to remain standing after the blast left her hand, and she dropped to one knee, returning her grip to her left shoulder as another agonizing wave of pain washed over her.

Smoke wafted up from the arena, blocking the view from the spectators, and flooding her nostrils with the smell of burnt flesh and cotton. She panted, glaring at the spot she had last seen her opponent, wondering if maybe she had gone too far. The smoke cleared slowly, and as it did she could just barely make out the silhouette of her opponent, still standing. She blinked past the shock that threatened to overwhelm her when he became clear, and suddenly the damage was revealed.

Spopovich was bleeding profusely from the gaping hole in his chest. The skin and clothing there had been completely burned away, taking large chunks of muscle with it. Blood began to pool on the ground below him as it dripped from him, but he didn't seem to care at all. He just snarled down at her, and clenched his fists.

The screams of the spectators were completely cut off from her, and she was pretty sure that the announcer was in hysterics now, but she heard none of it. With a sickening moist sound, the hole in Spopovich's chest began to close. First, stings of muscle snapped together, then several blood vessels, then sinew. Skin began to flow over it, and she could only stand and watch in horror as his body repaired itself, just like some of the mutants from that X-Men movie she had seen. She was helpless to do anything as he began to advance on her at a full sprint. She was so tired. Nothing would focus properly. Her arm was throbbing. What she wouldn't have given to just fall asleep right there. But no, she had to stay with it! He was coming at her again, she had to act!

Too late, she managed to struggle to her feet. While she was still slightly hunched over, he reached her. She felt the hand close around her neck, cutting off her breath. She felt the waves of agony as her body was lifted from the ground forcefully. She felt the impact of his fist as it hit her in the ribs, and the resounding snap as something gave under the pressure. But she didn't know what to do about it. Her own body was rebelling against her, and her mind wasn't processing what was happening rapidly enough. Darkness began to press in around her, her head was pounding, but no sound escaped her lips. She vaguely felt herself go weightless, and realized that she had been thrown straight up into the air.

With the pressure released from her crushed throat, air flooded into her lungs, and her mind became slightly less fuzzy. Her battered body turned in midair so that she was now looking down at the ring, just in time to see Spopovich form a bright pink ki ball of his own in his hand. It was several times larger than her own, and she realized that she had absolutely no way to evde it. Even in her numbed state of mind, panic hit home. The large man threw the ball like a baseball, and she watched in slow motion as it arced upwards towards her, becoming larger and larger in her field of view.

She knew she was about to die, and her eyes shot wide in fear. One thing shot through her mind just before the ball hit her.

_Gohan! Where are you?! I need you!_

She loosed an agonized scream as fresh waves of agony filled every piece of her being, and blackness swallowed her.

**A/N: Yessssss… YESSS I can feel the hate flowing through you. Embrace it. Let it feed you! In all seriousness though, this one was a heart-pounder to write out (at least the last bits were), so I hope it was just as much a rush for you all. Now, before you all band together with your pitch-forks and torches and stone me to death for leaving it here… I had to cut it off here or risk having a 20K+ word chapter, because I just kept going and going and going. Disregarding my last word, I may even have the next one up before I move! I hope so! Until then, enjoy your day!**


	26. Damn Hormones

**Hey all! Before we begin, I want to make a couple notes here and shout out to a couple of my reviewers. I say let's begin with the reviews, since it will lead into my notes in regards to last chapter.**

**Dyton: I just want you to know that you have **_**consistently **_**given me something to laugh about, especially in your interpretations of my own sense of humor. Yet again, you made a horrible night at work better with the mental image of Vegeta in a top hat and monocle, and I'll be damned if I don't use that one at some point. On a completely different note, you were the first to call out EXACTLY what I wanted to stir in the emotions of my readers! Which leads me to the other reviews I want to mention, and make my point about.**

**To SaintMichael95 (Ignore what I say after the *, that's not for you) and whoever left the guest review asking whether or not that ending was a joke: No it wasn't. And you **_**should **_**feel outraged at what just happened! Why didn't Gohan step in earlier? The tournament doesn't matter to him! *I'll go ahead and ignore the "lacking creativity" bit you lead off with, because (if you are even reading this) you're about to find out **_**why **_**that happened, and I'd like to think that the reason might surprise you. As I said once before in the early chapters of this fic, don't take everything I say at face value. There is a plot to this story that I've had written out for months, and thought of for years. **

**Now, with that out of the way, It's time for the chapter! Please everyone, if I don't mention you're review in these comments, don't take it personally! I read each and every one of them, and I take what I see into account as I go through this. I truly do appreciate every review I get (yes, even the relatively consistent "please add lemon scene" reviews that tend to plague stories that aren't about such things), and it helps me drive onwards!**

**But enough of my rambling! Here's the next one! R&R and Enjoy!**

**Chapter 26: Damn Hormones  
**

***AT THE START OF VIDEL'S MATCH – WAITING AREA***

Gohan waited patiently for the ringing in his ears from the gong to dissipate, and focused on Videl. The dull ache in his head from the combination of the noise and his worries was starting to get to him, but he did his best to ignore it and focus on the fight. She had apparently decided to go on the defensive, and was waiting for Spopovich to make his move. On the whole, he was relieved to see her thinking the fight through, and that she came to the same conclusion he would have. There was just no telling what Spopovich might have had up his sleeve. Then the round began as the giant man rushed forward.

_There you go you great big buffoon, keep rushing her. She'll just slip through your fingers again and again._

She began landing hits rapidly and darting away before Spopovich could return the favor. There was a tug at the corner of his lip as he watched her fight, marveling again at how quickly she was learning everything. Many of the Z-fighters watched with rapt attention, and Gohan felt a nudge at his arm as his father tried to get his attention.

"She's pretty good for a normal human. This is your doing right?"

Gohan simply nodded, his eyes never leaving the fight. He sensed out their ki, trying to see all aspects of the fight at once, making sure that Videl was in no danger. Videl's ki was as he expected; elevated, spiking whenever she dodged or attacked, and fluctuating with her breathing. Spopovich's on the other hand, remained at a constant, perfectly flat level. Gohan's unease continued building as the match went on, constantly aware of the bizarre nature of the giant's ki.

Videl's ki skyrocketed, and in a blindingly fast kick, she spun Spopovich's head right around on his shoulders. Gohan gaped at him, stunned by what had just happened. He saw the horror on Videl's face, and felt her ki plummet rapidly. He could feel his stomach churn, and a wave of nausea washed over him that wasn't of his own body's reaction, accompanied by a heavy throb in his head. He winced, and attempted to shut out the noise of the arena and waves of nausia, focusing entirely on Spopovich.

_Something isn't right here… She clearly snapped his neck, but… I can still feel…. _

His heart jumped into his throat as Spopovich began to move on his own, and a sharp pain slammed him in the head. Gohan leaned against the window, grasping his forehead in one hand and fighting to suppress the throbbing sensation. He managed to recover just in time to watch Videl take her first hit, and another white-hot knife of pain stabbed into his mind. He vaguely noticed a hand on his shoulder and the cautious words of his father, but paid them no heed. All he cared about was Videl now.

Spopovich was wearing her down now, and her ki was beginning to waver. He could see on her face the determination and concentration as she looked for a way to win. Then Spopovich landed the bone-shattering kick. Videl cried out in agony, and Gohan clenched his eyes shut against the pulse of pain that racked his body. He could feel a sharp ache in his left arm, exactly where hers was now twisted at an odd angle. A strange sensation flooded him, a pressure welling up in his gut that he attributed to fear for the woman, who he felt was in serious danger.

_That's it! I need to get her-_

"GRRAH!"

His eyes slammed shut of their own accord as powerful waves of pain flooded him, originating in the back of his skull and sending an electric, burning sensation all the way down his spine, resulting in an itch that felt like it was cursed upon him from the depths of hell itself. He collapsed to one knee, planting one hand on the ground for support and clutching the window-sill. Panicked voices rang out around him, but he could hear nothing, see nothing. Time had no meaning to him, the only things that existed were the furious burning in his back, and the pure instinct to protect Videl. He had no clue how long he was curled up like that, each agonizing second felt like it was both an instant, and yet forever at the same time. The throbbing subsided slowly, and then he heard it. Like a phantom calling out to him, echoing in his head. It was the most beautiful, and yet the saddest thing he had ever heard.

_**Gohan! Where are you?! I need you!**_

The ache in his head vanished completely. His back stopped burning, the itch subsided, and all of his senses returned abruptly. His eyes shot wide open, and the spectacle before him caused him a moment of hesitation. His father was kneeling next to him, shaking his shoulder and looking him dead in the face with a worried expression.

"...-ohan! Gohan! Are you okay son? What's wrong?"

The others were either gathered around or watching out the windows to the room with slack-jawed expressions. Then he heard the scream. It was a high pitched scream, accompanied by a thunderclap, loaded with pain and despair, and it sent a jolt of panic through him, sending his heart somewhere into the proximity of his throat.

"VIDEL!"

His roar shook the building as he transformed, straight into the second transformation. He didn't need to see her battered form to know that she was on the brink of death now, and his Saiyan instincts were now fully in control. Completely disregarding the door, he kicked off hard from the ground, bursting through the wall and into the daylight. His eyes locked onto her falling form as she descended rapidly towards the earth. He was about to swoop in and catch her when a familiar form shot past him in her direction. Vegeta turned his head over his shoulder, the cool demeanor of his shout catching him off guard.

"Go! You'll just kill her in your state! I've got the girl, you deal with that wretch!"

The beast in Gohan's chest roared in approval as the Saiyan prince caught the falling girl with a surprising amount of care, gently lowering them both to the ground. Gohan's eyes did a quick one-over of her from his position at the edge of the ring, and his heart plummeted. Her ki was fading quickly and Vegeta quickly clamped down on her arm after he spotted a spurt of bright red blood, yelling something towards the others. Gohan felt a twitch in his eye, and he snapped his gaze to the ring itself and a very baffled looking Spopovich.

Gohan was not unfamiliar with hatred. Cold and yet so hot at the same time, it fueled his most powerful outbursts. It was the one thing he despised of himself, yet he could never leave behind. Constantly over the last few years he had striven to control his anger, refuse to give in to the hatred that filled him and drove his passion. But not this time.

A deep rumble filled the air, and the ground began to shake subtly as Gohan gave in to his anger. He was deaf to the screams of the public, the faint voices that sounded so familiar to him, and yet so insignificant now. The monster in the ring had done such horrible damage to her that even Vegeta was stepping in to try and save _his _Videl! He had been there specifically to prevent such a thing happening, and yet he had not been there when she needed him most.

"You… BASTARD!"

His roar shook the structures around them as he strode into the ring. Each step he took sent lightning into the tile, shattering it where it struck.

"YOU… YOU KILLED HER! YOU WILL PAY!"

He didn't even notice as the lightning that crackled around him completely burned away the hood and mask covering his face, allowing his white-gold hair to spring free once more. The rage fueled fire that swirled into the sky around him stirred a wind in the arena, thrashing the spectator's clothes around wildly. Spopovich was glaring at him with incredulity, obviously confused by what he was seeing and attempting to shield his face from the storm descending upon him. Gohan didn't even give him a chance to think, darting forward and covering the considerable distance between them in an instant. He balled his fist and drove it sharply up, straight into, and through the man's abdomen.

The warm nectar of life spurted through the hole around Gohan's arm, and evaporated in a steamy puff of smoke upon contact with his burning body. Spopovich's face contorted into horror and pain as he realized exactly where Gohan's hand was. The demi reveled in the terror on his face, letting it fuel his rage filled blood-lust further and eliciting a deep growl from his chest.

"Tell me, can you grow this back?"

He snarled and thrust his arm up, straight under the rib-cage until he found the object of his desire. Spopovich howled in agony and grasped onto Gohan's bicep in a futile attempt to stop him, which only served to burn his hands so severely that they began to smoke. Gohan grasped onto the muscle he was looking for, and with a harsh grin, yanked down sharply. He could feel the muscles tear, arteries snapped completely, and he didn't even want to guess how many internal organs he had just completely destroyed, but each little break inside the man was a victory. He removed his arm from Spopovich's chest, holding the man's considerably large, and still beating heart out for him to see.

The giant staggered backwards a couple steps before dropping to his knees and gaping at the demi in horror. No words left his maw as his mouth worked furiously to inflate the collapsed lungs within his chest, and his hands scrambled around in an attempt to keep the ruptured organs and blood from spilling out of the hole in his abdomen. Gohan glanced at the muscle in his hand, noting that it continued beating, despite being completely removed from the body. Though it brought him a grim satisfaction to know that he was causing the pain the giant was experiencing, it didn't sate his blood lust. His Saiyan instincts demanded more violence and bloodshed. He gritted his teeth and locked eyes with the behemoth. He sharply closed his hand, and the heart exploded, landing in pieces with a sickeningly moist slap all around him, only to be disintegrated in the torrential power of his aura.

He walked slowly, menacingly, towards Spopovich, who was still gaping at him like a fish out of water. The blood pooled on the tile was evaporated instantly by the intensity of the aura flaring around him, and he could vaguely feel the presence of his friends and family attempting to approach him, albeit unsuccessfully. He disregarded it completely, focusing entirely on the living dead man before him. He reached out and grasped the long brown hair at the base of his scalp and pulled his head back so that they were face to face, clenching his fist at his side and leaning in menacingly close to him.

"You fucked with the wrong Saiyan."

He could see the man's brain working furiously behind his eyes, and Gohan was momentarily fascinated by what he saw. First there was rage, then horror, then a sort of satisfaction, and then nothing at all. His eyes clouded over entirely and his gaze became distant. The bizarre ki that Gohan had been feeling disappeared completely to reveal a horrendously weak one. Gohan realized that Spopovich was about to expire, and jerked his free hand to the side, forming a knife hand and plunging into his ki. He formed a thin blade of ki that lined the edge of his hand, and abruptly slashed it through the giant's strained neck, and his head came free of his body without a sound.

Gohan breathed heavily through his teeth, willing his heart to stop pounding in his chest as he glared at the severed head dangling from his fist. Spopovich's expression hadn't changed at all, retaining its horrified visage. The red faded from his vision, and the burning rage in his chest began to recede back into cold emptiness. His eyes began to burn, against his will, and he grimaced against the ache that began to plague his heart.

_She's gone… I didn't protect her when I should have…_

He inhaled sharply and threw the head high into the air, quickly following it up with a ki blast that incinerated it into nothing. His gaze fell upon the decapitated body next to him, and with a roar to the heavens, he extended his hand and let forth a burning heat from his palm that obliterated any sign of Spopovich's pathetic existence. With the deed done, Gohan allowed himself to collapse inwardly completely. Where rage and hatred were dominant moments ago, now there was only agony and loss. He'd never admitted to her openly, but there was no doubt in the Demi's mind. He did love Videl. And now that he couldn't feel her ki, now that he was sure she was gone, the ache in his chest was nearly unbearable.

Gohan staggered towards the edge of the ring, his aura dying rapidly and his hair reverting back to its natural black. He had to see her, his mind was refusing to accept it. He noted dimly through his hazy state of mind that there was a crowd gathered around her. His father, Android 18, Krillin, and Tien huddled around her while Piccolo, 17, and Vegeta all stood away from them, warding off anyone who dared to come near. He staggered over, pushing Goku and 18 aside in an attempt to look upon her again, and pulled up short as his breath caught in his throat.

Kibito knelt beside her, his eyes fixated on her and his hand floating an inch above her partially exposed chest where the ki blast had struck. To his horror he realized that she had suffered from massive hemorrhaging in her right arm and side, and more of her bones appeared broken than not. First glance told him that his fears were true. There was no trace of her ki, he couldn't see her breathing, and she was a dull grey color, with a large amount of her blood staining the grass around her. Desperation welled up in him, and his mind numbed as he watched Kibito's brow furrow even deeper, letting forth a growl of concentration. He attempted to lunge forward and prevent him from doing whatever it was he was doing, but found himself being held back firmly by a set of strong hands. He struggled for a moment, the intensity of his glare burning a hole in the side of the pink giant's head, causing him to start sweating out of nervousness.

"Hey! What do you think you're do-"

"Gohan calm down! Look!"

His god father's raspy voice pulled him up short, and he blinked in surprise a couple times as her ki faintly spiked and leveled off. He glared at her incredulously, for moments earlier he was positive he could feel nothing from her at all. He felt a faint glimmer of hope ignite deep in his chest, and broke away from the hands holding his shoulders. Kibito backed off quickly as he knelt by her side, glaring up at the pink man like a protective bear would its cub. Gohan didn't exactly know what to feel towards the tall man, and Kibito seemed uncertain for a moment what he should do.

"She's still alive Gohan…"

His stern voice fanned the spark of hope into a full fire, and he gently scooped her up into his arms, wincing as he felt several of her bones move in a way they shouldn't have. He spared the Pink man one last look before turning to his father, the urgency to save the girl in his arms flooding into his voice.

"Dad! The lookout!"

"Right."

In an instant, Goku grasped him by the shoulder, raising one hand to his forehead and placing the first to fingers on his brow. Gohan mentally prepared himself for what he knew was about to happen, staring at Videl's face worriedly. A split second later, the two of them vanished with a crack that rang through the air, leaving the audience in complete silence.

***ON THE LOOKOUT* **

Dende prepared himself for what he knew was coming, turning from the edge of the platform where he had been keeping an over watch on events down below. When Gohan's ki exploded so violently minutes ago, he had rushed out from the central building to find a dangerous situation below. With a crack, Gohan appeared, and carrying the battered form of the short girl he had taken to spending time with recently. Dende gave a silent acknowledgement to Goku, who merely stepped back from his son, looking down on him as he laid the girl down on the tile. No words needed to be said, Dende already knew what the demi needed.

He quickly set about inspecting her, wincing in imagined pain as he fully inspected her injuries. Gohan knelt next to her across from him, his eyes staring off into nothing and his complexion pale.

_Oh that's not good. He's gone into shock… I can heal Videl's wounds easy enough, but that's something to worry about too. I can't treat that as easily as just using my ki…_

He furrowed his brow, triaging the wounds and deciding to work on the rents in her arm and side, which appeared the most severe and life-threatening. She was barely hanging on by a thread at this point, but he wasn't willing to let her or Gohan down. Remembering that realistically, he had two patients with him at the moment, he began trying to help Gohan as well, simply by talking to him.

"Gohan, talk to me, what happened out there?"

The demi shook his head, still lost in thought about something, and scowling as more memories washed forth. Dende noticed that while he tended to the various injuries, the Demi's hands never left the girl, as if he were worried she would disappear if he let go. The guardian dumped his ki into her, weaving together the tissue with relative ease, and forcing the bones to meld together as he found more and more injuries of varying severity.

_Wow, this is… just brutal! It's fortunate she's only human. If Gohan or Vegeta were this badly damaged, I don't know if I could do anything for them…_

"Something is very wrong here Dende, nobody should have been able to do the things Spopovich did."

Dende continued working, but allowed some relief to fill him as his longtime friend began speaking.

"What did he do? Tell me about it, something tells me that this goes beyond an unusually tough human."

_Obviously… But anything to get him talking, try to steer him away from any self-destructive thoughts._

"No, he wasn't particularly strong, it's just that… He should have died, Videl snapped his neck and blew a hole in his chest… He regenerated. He simply wouldn't stay down. Until I…"

That statement caused him some pause, and he momentarily locked eyes with the demi. Gohan's pale expression betrayed no hints of regret, but he seemed disgusted at the thought of what he had done nonetheless. Dende pushed the thought aside, focusing on what he had been told.

_A normal human… Regeneration? I guess not normal… okay yes this definitely is worth worrying about, but… how could I not sense Spopovich if he has the ability to regenerate? Surely he would stick out if he had such an ability._

In that moment he noticed that Goku was motioning to him over his son's shoulder. He was pointing down at the demi, telling Dende to look for something, but didn't catch his meaning until he turned on the spot and pointed at the spot directly above his own rear end, mouthing the word 'tail'. Dende's eyes widened and he looked down. Sure enough, wrapped snugly around the girl's arm, closest to the demi, was a furry brown appendage that curled up and behind Gohan's waist.

_How did I not see that before? He must have grown that back when Videl was in the ring!_

"Ahem… Gohan, you've… umm…."

The Demi's eyes lingered on Videl's form for a second longer before coming up to meet his gaze, silently questioning him.

"You're holding her arm still… I need you to let go so I can mend the bone?"

In spite of his worried state, Gohan's face shifted into a confused glare. He glanced down, and Dende saw his eyes snap wide open. The appendage moved then, uncurling from around her arm, and he reached out to grasp it with a wondrous look in his eye.

"My… tail…"

He continued to stare at it in disbelief while Dende tended to the raven-haired beauty. He was nearly done mending the physical wounds on her, but felt a pang of panic when her ki remained terrifyingly low. He pressed a finger to her neck, and registered the still weak pulse that was much slower than it should have been. He concentrated hard, pumping her with as much ki as he could spare, an unfortunately meager amount considering the sheer amount of damage he had just repaired, sending her body into over-drive for blood creation. But even at the rapid rate her body was trying to recreate the cells, she had already lost so much that she could suffer permanent damage from it. Her body simply didn't have enough oxygen flowing through it.

"Gohan… Gohan!"

The demi shook his head, returning his focus to the young Kami. He released his new appendage, furrowing his brow for a moment and wrapping it around his waist, just as his uncle, Vegeta and Nappa had done upon their arrival. With his attention fully on Dende again, his grim expression set, the Kami continued.

"I've healed her physical wounds, but I can't do anything else for her. I'm good, but I can't do everything, and creating blood is something I haven't figured out yet. I've sped up her natural regeneration as much as I can, but she needs some more soon, or she's in some serious trouble. I hate to say it, but some of your human's transfusion techniques are the best thing for her right now."

Gohan nodded solemnly, gulping past the lump in his throat. He knew full well the limitations of his friend's abilities. The enormous scar on his shoulder was a testament to that, and although he had drastically improved over the years, he still had a lot to learn. He remembered just how long it had taken him to recover from both his fight with Broly, and Cell, and that was with his advanced Saiyan genes considerably speeding up the healing process. The crime fighter had barely been prevented from slipping into lifelessness altogether, and she was only human.

"Dad, I can't believe I'm even suggesting this, but we need Hercule. He's our best chance right now."

His voice was faint and strained, and Dende thought he sounded completely worn out. It again struck him how this man was only eighteen years of age, and yet he acted and sounded like some of the most aged Namekians from his old village; Those that had warded off invaders for years prior to his birth, those that were hardened warriors and seasoned veterans of battle. Yet the way he held the girl in his arms, the way he had acted with her in his life, it all gave him a glimmer of hope for the man's future.

_I'm sorry you have to live with all of this Gohan… I'm just glad you have her… Just don't push her away like you did with all of us…_

With another resounding crack, the three of them disappeared, and Dende returned to his post at the edge of the lookout, searching for the source of his unease across the globe. A familiar sense of doom hovered over him, much like the day that Frieza made his initial appearance on his first home planet. Indeed, something was very wrong with the world today.

***AT THE ARENA – PRELIMINARY FIGHT COURTYARD***

Lime turned sharply on her heel again, fuming in the relative silence of the courtyard where the Z-fighters and company had all gathered. The tournament had been halted immediately, both for the fact that things had gotten so out of hand, as well as the damage done to the platform by the enraged super-saiyan. None of them was speaking, each lost in their own thoughts; Even Sharpener and Erasa, who Lime knew were both in a state of shock at the sudden in-flow of information crashing down on them. Lime's own mind was racing furiously as she tried to make heads or tails of what was going on, pacing around continuously. The question that was burning in her brain so brightly was threatening to burst forth. She halted, glancing towards the others once more, and she couldn't hold it in any more.

"What the _fuck _was he thinking?! What happened down there? It never should have gotten to the point that Videl was hurt like that! She could be dead for all we know!"

Her frustrated shout echoed in the open air, and several seemed to share her confusion, namely those that had been in the stands with her, watching helplessly as the girl was beaten to a pulp. Only Chi Chi came to her son's defense, gently holding her other two children by her sides and attempting to comfort them. Neither of them had seen anything as gruesome as what they had just witnessed in the ring, and for it to have been done by their older brother…

"Lime honey, Gohan and Goku took her to get help, she'll be fi-"

"He should have stopped that creep as soon as she got hurt the first time! It was over a long time before he stepped in, so what the hell was he doing?!"

She balled her fists and fumed, her eyes burning as her anger and worry threatened to send her over the edge into hysteria.

"The brat was otherwise… occupied at the time."

She rounded on Vegeta, his statement only served to stoke her anger.

"_Occupied?!_ He let her get hurt! And then you ended up catching her and he just…"

She hesitated, glancing towards the two shell-shocked twins being held by their mother.

"… And in front of the kids?! What was he thinking?!"

Vegeta pinched the bridge of his nose, grunting in irritation and standing from his place at the edge of one of the preliminary rings.

"Quite simply, he wasn't. Surely you noticed Gohan's tail grew back?"

Lime huffed and gritted her teeth.

_Yea I saw the tail! But that has nothing to do wi-_

"There's not many reasons for a Saiyan's tail to grow back. If they're young enough, it'll randomly return. If they get put in severe danger, it can grow back. If their mate is threatened, it will grow back. His grew back in the middle of her fight, and it was purely instinct."

"They're not mated Vegeta! In case you've forgotten, I know about your guys' little mark thing, and I know she doesn't have one!"

Vegeta grunted and crossed his arms, looking thoughtfully at the ground. Lime tugged nervously at the ponytail that was draped over her shoulder and chewed on her knuckle in an attempt to control her raging mind. Bulma interjected into her mental war, clearing her throat nervously.

"I've got a theory on that actually… Gohan's only half Saiyan, so I think it's possible his human side actually made his Saiyan hormones… well… Stronger? I'm not sure exactly how to explain it without actually being a half-saiyan or doing any studies, but I think that combining both Saiyan and Human hormones amplifies each one depending on the situation, such as if someone they're close to is in danger. Also, I'm sure that it isn't an easy or pain-free process. He did just re-grow an entire appendage in a matter of minutes after all. So that would explain why he didn't do anything earlier?"

She looked to Vegeta for confirmation, which he gave in the form of a simple nod. Lime continued to stare at Bulma for a moment, processing what she had said and trying to rationalize it. She took a deep breath to still her nerves, and glared at her irritably.

_Damn her for being so freaking smart… And convincing… I can't argue with her ever!_

She noticed again out of the corner of her eye the torn-up expressions on Goten's and Ria's faces, and felt her body deflate. Her anger left, to be replaced by pity. She sighed heavily and made her way to sit against one of the rings next to the Son family, and reached out towards Ria with open arms. Any self-composure that the little girl had left crumbled away in an instant at the offer, and she rushed into her adopted sister's arms, sobbing out all of her sorrows. Lime stroked her hair and patiently waited for the girl to gain control of herself. Goten seemed to stiffen his resolve, though he sniffled quietly a couple times before silently asking for his mother to pick him up. Ria managed to steady her breathing, and backed away from Lime enough to look at her with hurt-filled eyes.

"What's wrong with Gohan? He just killed him! I know that guy was a meanie but Gohan _killed _him! Gohan can't kill people, he's not bad like that!"

Lime chewed on her lower lip, considering the girl's words. Of course she didn't know that Gohan had killed more than just once. Nobody could bring themselves to tell the twins, or Trunks, that when he "beat" Cell and Broly, it involved killing them, much less his "cleaning" operations in the city. As far as the children actually knew, the bad guys just ran away after Gohan had beaten them.

_How do you explain to a child what Gohan does without totally shattering their image of him? Of course I know why he does it, his mother knows it… All of us do…_

"Ria, you listen to me good and well alright? Gohan isn't a bad guy, he never was. That guy that was in the ring with him really hurt Videl, and Gohan… Errrr… Made sure that he could never do it again. Sweet-heart, sometimes the good guy _has _to kill the bad guy to protect those they care about"

Ria wiped her eyes with the back of her hand, but the tears continued to flow regardless. Her chin quivered slightly and her voice, thick with emotion, nearly broke the teen down into tears of her own.

"But… Why did it have to be Gohan? I've never seen him get so mad before… It was so scary, I didn't recognize him! He's always so nice…"

"Aww Ria… Look I know it's hard to see, but Gohan is still the big brother you know and love. What you saw in the ring isn't him, okay?"

She didn't look convinced, and neither did her brother, though Goten looked surprisingly thoughtful. Lime had a suspicion that he was much more perceptive than he let on, and she wondered silently if maybe he was holding back his own tears for her sake. She thought about how to go about telling them about Gohan, when inspiration struck.

"Think of that person you just saw as a different person Ria… Gohan hides him until he's needed, and he was definitely needed today."

The girl sniffled and rubbed her eyes, trying to stem the tide.

"Like Bardock?"

"Yea Ria, just like Bardock!"

She gave the girl a reassuring smile, or at least the best one she could manage, given her own stressing and worrying. It seemed to help somewhat however, and the corners of Ria's lips curled upwards into a weak smile that still bordered on being a pout. Silence reigned over the group once more as they all pondered their current situation. As of yet, none of had proposed any explanation for the events of the day that made any sense beyond the obvious fact that there was something dire happening on their world; Serious enough for the personal involvement of two Kais, as well as a dead Super-Saiyan.

"Where is she?! Where's my little sweat-pea?!"

They all turned towards the disturbance that jerked them out of their collective state of contemplation. Hercule emerged from the side door he had disappeared into after the preliminary introductions, eyes darting about furiously in search of his daughter and a flushed expression on his face. His blue eyes locked onto the forms of the Z-fighters and his face contorted into a scowl. Lime couldn't help but groan exasperatedly at the sight of the man.

_Oh great… Just what we need right now… The "world savior"…_

"Hey you lot! Where's my Videl?! I saw that Bardock kid with her and now she's disappeared!"

He stomped over and planted his feet firmly in an aggressive stance, looking to each of their faces in the most intimidating glare he could muster. Unfortunately for him, it wasn't nearly as frightening as his daughter's glare, nor were any of the Z-fighters actually capable of being scared by him in the first place. Chi Chi hefted Goten in her arms and scowled towards the man.

"His name is Gohan Mr. 'Champ', how about you use it? And for your information, my husband and son took her to someone who can help!"

The champ wasn't convinced, and crossed his arms defiantly towards the woman.

"We have the best medical facilities right here in this complex, she should have been taken there! She needs a doctor, not some mumbo-jumbo wannabe from the back-woods of nowhere!"

The Z-fighters again felt outrage at the words of the Champ, but none more so than Piccolo, who growled and caught the older fighter's attention. Upon seeing the tall Namekian again, Hercule blanched slightly, but managed to keep his face composed defiantly into a scowl.

"That's no way to be talking about the Kami of the Earth, and I won't stand for it. Watch your tongue."

He let the threat linger in the air, and Hercule seemed to have deflated slightly at his words. He obviously didn't want to believe that there was an actual Kami of the earth, or that his daughter had been taken to him personally, but nothing about these people was normal in the least. Why should he doubt them considering what he'd seen? Looking to save face, or some other meaningless reason, he plowed on. His eyes took on a distant look, and he massaged his knuckles as if preparing for a fight.

"Whatever, all I know is that whenever I get my hands on that Spopovich guy, I'll make what I did to him in the ring five years ago look mild."

Alarm bells automatically went off in Lime's head, and she gaped openly at the man. She wasn't the only one who caught his blunder, though she was the one to speak to it.

"Wait… You didn't… Did you even watch her fight?! Do you even know what happened?!"

He hesitated, his words caught in his throat and he paled slightly under her harsh gaze. The tiny spark of outrage burst into a bonfire at his unspoken confirmation of guilt.

"You didn't! What the hell Hercule? She's your daughter and you didn't even watch her fight!"

Hercule's face fell into a look of guilt and remorse quickly, his complexion paling rapidly. For a moment, he looked so pitiful that Lime almost felt sorry for him. But she quickly discarded that thought.

"No, I didn't. She was doing so well I took the time to… Well that's not important… I have to know if she's alright or not. The guy who told me she'd been hurt didn't say how bad."

He cautiously glanced around at them, taking in their harsh gazes apprehensively. Bulma sighed and pinched the bridge of her nose, choosing not to look at the man as she answered his question.

"We don't know Satan… She was in critical condition when Goku took them, and it's possible that… Well I would rather not think about that."

The man gulped past the emotional lump in his throat, steadying himself as best he could before nodding his understanding.

"And Spopovich?"

Much to everyone's surprise, it was Goten who spoke up this time. His small voice cut through the air with much more firmness and determination than the others were used to hearing.

"He's dead… Bardock killed him."

Lime was slightly taken aback by his actions, but easily noticed his quick glance towards his sister. She felt a tug on the corner of her lips at the gesture, as well as the fierce look that he was clearly forcing onto his face. She knew what he was trying to accomplish, and it made her proud to see him doing it.

_He's trying so hard to help her with accepting Gohan's actions… Trying to be so strong for her…_

Hercule regained a little bit of the color in his face at the news, and sighed heavily while running a hand through his thick black hair.

A loud snap rent the air in two, startling several people into yelping in surprise.

"Gohan! Goku!"

Lime's head snapped around, and sure enough, there they both were. Goku with his first and second finger of his left hand still pressed against his forehead, and Gohan, carrying the still extremely pale and bloodstained form of Videl. There was a momentary jolt of panic as Lime took in her friend's features, but it slightly subsided when she noticed that her wounds appeared to have been closed up entirely. But Gohan's gaunt and strained expression sent her worry back into over-drive.

"Gohan! Is she alright?! What's going on, was Dende able to-"

He cut off her question quickly with just a look, and then locked eyes with Hercule.

"Just the man I need. You, come with me, we don't have much time."

Hercule appeared to have ignored his comment entirely, rushing forward to inspect his daughter. He pressed a hand to her cheek, wiping away a little stray blood that still decorated her delicate features, taking her in entirely. His eyes quickly found the rents in her clothing that partially exposed the right side of her chest and left her shoulder bare, and Lime could see the outrage plain on his face. After all, his daughter was barely concealed under the scraps of her shirt, and if one were too look closely, the sports bra she had been wearing was also burnt away on that side.

"Hey! What did you do to her?!"

Gohan grunted loudly in irritation, and suddenly Hercule was staggered back a step as the air was again rent with a loud crack, holding his cheek and the bright red shiner that suddenly appeared there. He blinked in surprise a couple times, trying to understand what had just hit him in the face.

"Shut up old man! Now, if you value your daughter's life, you will come with me now! She's stable for now, but she still needs help, and you are necessary for this."

Lime couldn't help but feel a little bit of satisfaction as she watched his tail slowly wind itself back around his waist like a fuzzy brown belt. But then she remembered that she was still trying to be mad at him, and worried about her friend, and did her best to push her fascination with the appendage to the back of her mind. Without another word, Gohan turned and began making his way quickly towards the medical facilities with Videl still cradled in his arms. The Z-fighters followed quickly, keeping with his hurried pace, and Vegeta grabbed Mr. Satan by the back of his Brown gi top, dragging him along in his slightly dumb-struck state.

***BACK IN THE WAITING AREA***

_I don't get it, Gohan completely destroyed Spopovich, yet Yamu hasn't made his move. I know that those two are Babidi's minions, but Yamu is acting like nothing has happened at all… What is he waiting for? What could that wizard have planned?_

Shin narrowed his eyes and stared at the back of the pale fighter, who appeared to be having a conversation with a wall again. Kibito seemed to be having similar thoughts to his own, and growled softly in frustration.

"Master, what are we supposed to do now? We could not have hoped for a better display of power from any of these saiyans, yet the two of them did not do anything about it. I mean… Gohan's display there was… Unbelievable… Never have I dreamed of so much power existing in a single person."

Shin scowled deeper as memories from ages past came forth into his mind.

"You're still young Kibito. Remember, Goku has shown more power than the young Saiyan, and I don't believe that that was his full capability. Beyond that, I can remember that monster's power, so many years ago. It was many millennia ago, but I can still feel it haunting me to this day… But alas, you are correct. We are still stuck in the same situation; we need to find the wizard, and our only certain way is for Yamu to lead us to him."

"How do we do that? If he is not after energy like we thought, then what could he be doing here?"

Shin considered for a moment how to answer his question, pausing his thoughts only a moment to recognize the presence of Goku and Gohan reappearing at their site. Immediately his thoughts extended outwards to listen in to both of them, absently listening to what was going on. Ideas began forming in his head, none of which he could do without the group of fighters that he had been so wary of enlisting the aid of.

"Kibito, I think our friends will be coming to us shortly looking for an explanation. I think we need to tell them."

"Master! You can't be serious!"

"I am Kibito. We cannot do this alone, nor do I think that Goku will be enough for this task."

"But you saw what Gohan did out there! Your assumption was correct, even if you were not disabled as you are now, the boy far exceeds us both combined in strength. If we give him a reason to, we may not be any better off than Spopovich! Beyond that, I don't trust him. He's too unpredictable!"

"I know Kibito, but we are out of time, and we are out of options. We will have to give him a reason to work with us, and hope that he accepts it. He already knows that we are Kais, as long as he doesn't figure out which, then we should be fine. If the worst happens in that scenario, then I will just have to offer him something he cannot refuse."

Kibito furrowed his brow in confusion, silently asking him to elaborate, but Shin just shook his head. Right in line with his prediction, he felt the presence of Vegeta approaching them at a quick pace. He motioned for Kibito to prepare himself, and silently gazed towards the doorway he knew the prince was going to appear in. At his side, Kibito shifted uncomfortably.

"Master, if you don't mind me asking, why did you want me to merely keep the girl from dying? It is obvious she means something to the boy, why would you not want me to heal her completely? You know it is well within my capabilities, and it may have gotten us in Gohan's good graces."

"Honestly, I don't know if it would have actually helped our situation with the young saiyan. He does not trust us, for obvious reasons. Had you healed her completely on the spot, he could have swung either way. Either he would have begun to trust us, or he would have grown even more suspicious, possibly downright hostile. It was not something I was willing to risk until we know more. Besides, it got us out from under his gaze for a while to think and plan, and opened an opportunity for Yamu to do something in his absence. It is unfortunate that nothing happened, and I am quite sorry that she had to be used that way in vain. There will be much to atone for when this ordeal is over with Kibito, but right now, we need to put the universe first. It is our priority, not the lives of a few individual beings."

They settled back into a tense silence and awaited the Prince's arrival.

***ARENA HOSPITAL WARD***

Gohan sighed heavily dropped into one of the room's many guest chairs, burying his face in his hands. Videl lay in the bed across the room from him, with Hercule by her side and both of them connected to a blood transfusion machine that pumped blood directly from the aged fighter and into his daughter. He felt tired, much more tired than he had felt in a very long time. Mercifully, most of the Z-gang had elected to stay outside of the room, the exception being his family, Lime, and the two blondes. Videl's fragile state was still worrying him greatly, but now the only that he could do was wait or the blood being pumped into her to do its work. In the meantime, he wanted answers, and he knew exactly who to go to for those.

_Those two had better be willing to talk. First dad, now Videl? This is personal now._

His original outburst aside, he had spent a large portion of the last hour contemplating exactly what was going on. Shin and Kibito were of course crucial to whatever was happening, after all, they were what he had so passionately referred to as "fucking gods of the universe". They wanted Goku for something, and somehow Spopovich was connected. By association, so was Yamu, and Gohan knew that whatever was going on went far beyond what he saw on the surface. There was absolutely no way that Yamu or Spopovich could be the reason for Goku's involvement. Not with the pitifully weak abilities they possessed.

He sensed that Vegeta had made contact, and sat back in his chair, glaring at the wall where he could feel the two Kai's masked ki. Just as he had hoped, the three of them began making their way back to the room. He nervously ran a hand through his hair, pausing a moment when he noticed the heavy blood-stains on the green portions of his armor. A chill shot down his spines as he realized what sort of spectacle he had made of himself when he'd lost control. He cautiously glanced around at the others in the room, and wasn't too surprised to see that the blondes were eying him warily, and Ria was pointedly not looking at him at all.

_Good job genius. Sharpener and Erasa might be able to get over what they just saw easy enough, but the twins… You promised to protect them from violence and bloodshed, and then you go and rip a guy apart in front of them… Real smooth…_

He sighed heavily again, and fumbled with the fabric of his glove, which was surprisingly still mostly intact after the beating it had taken in his outburst. He quickly pressed the buttons, and changed in a flash back to his navy gi and red shirt. Something in his actions seemed to stir Erasa's curiosity, and she managed to push aside her nervousness enough to approach him. She never took her eyes from his form as she seated herself next to him, careful to keep a space in between them. Gohan chewed on the inside of his cheek before rubbing his jaw irritably.

"I'm not going to bite Erasa… No need to be nervous."

She searched his face for a few seconds, considering his words. She seemed to make up her mind, or rather, was distracted by the furry brown appendage that twitched around his waist. She stared down at it curiously, her expression tossing between fascination and confusion. She tentatively reached out a hand to poke it.

"Is… Is that real?"

His reaction was immediate, and intense for such a light touch. A jolt shot through him, not one of pain like the times his tail had been grabbed as a small child, but a tickling sensation that sent his stomach into turmoil. The furry tail unfurled quickly, shocking Erasa into backing off with alarm. Freed from his waist, it waved up into the air behind him, as if it had a mind of its own.

"Yea, it's real… And very sensitive."

"Oh! Sorry!"

She continued to stare at it, mesmerized by its movements like a child discovering television for the first time. In spite of the situation they were all in, he felt the urge to laugh at her expression. But that was quickly shot down when Sharpener spoke up; posing the one question he needed an honest answer to.

"So… Is it true G? That you're… You know…? Only half human?"

Gohan swallowed past the lump in his throat and locked eyes with the blonde. He noticed out of the corner of his eye that Erasa had emerged from her fascination at his question, looking at him apprehensively.

_Well… Here we go once again into the deep end. I wasn't planning on telling them this bit yet, but I suppose it can't be avoided now._

He nodded, focusing on controlling his breathing and stilling the nerves in him. He was certain that this little bit of information would alienate him from them beyond his actual alien blood. But like all the times before, it was Erasa to the rescue.

"Well duh! It makes too much sense for you to be more than just a human! The tail is a dead give-away 'monkey boy'! Ha! I've been friends with an alien for half a year and I had no clue! So… Any other – um… Anatomical differences that a girl might need to know about? You know… for Videl's sake?"

Lime slapped her forehead with an open palm and Sharpener snorted into his hand as he tried to contain his outburst of laughter. Chi Chi gaped at the girl openly while the other three Son family members blinked in confusion, the meaning behind her question lost on them. Gohan immediately caught on to her suggestive curiosity, and blushed furiously. The other conscious person in the room, Hercule, managed to finally find his voice, and used it to yell in outrage towards the teens.

"Oh that's it! There is no way you and my little girl are going to… You stay away from her you… Freak!"

His insult rang in Gohan's head, but surprisingly it didn't bring the anger he'd predicted. A calm acceptance formed around the word, settling in his mind with a horrible weight that was both painful and comforting at the same time. Lime and Chi Chi automatically came to his defense, preparing to deal with the fool as necessary, but Gohan waved them down.

_I suppose I should be mad but… he's not wrong… I've been saying the same thing for years, and the one time I let someone get too close, they get hurt when I'm at my weakest. I should have known that it would happen._

As soon as the words crossed mind, another thought formed that sank him even further into the depths of sorrow. In the back of his mind, a small voice was subtly whispering to him, _I told you so._

"Hercule, sit down and let the machine do its work, you've got nothing to worry about from me."

Hercule continued to glare at him, but did as he said.

"You're darn right I don't, punk…"

Gohan felt the presence of the two Kai's immediately outside the door, and crossed his arms. He locked eyes with Erasa and tried to give her a weak smile, ignoring her worried pout that no doubt was caused by his proclamation.

"Well, consider today your lucky day Erasa. You get to meet two gods of the fucking universe…"

As the words left his mouth the door to the room opened, and Vegeta entered, followed closely by both Shin and Kibito. Vegeta began to close the door behind him, but Gohan motioned for him to stop, never taking his eyes off of the purple man before him. Shin continued to stare right back, but Gohan noted that Kibito seemed slightly tense.

_Good… I've got their attention at least._

"You guys get in here, you all need to be here for this as well."

His call was immediately answered by a bustle as the entire Z-gang rushed into the small room, crowding it slightly but leaving an open space towards the back of it where Shin and Kibito now stood. Checking to see that everyone was there, Gohan stood, taking his place by his father's side and slowly dragging his hands down the front of his face before crossing his arms in front of him and staring down the Kai. A tense silence settled in the room, only disturbed by the quiet hum of the pump on the machine attached to Videl and Hercule. Gohan took a deep breath and began.

"I don't think I need to tell you why I've brought you here, Kai. Start talking."

***UNKNOWN LOCATION***

A lone light dimly shone in the blackness of a peculiar room. The glow originated from a small ball in the center of the room, but failed to reach more than a foot or two away. There were several figures present, shrouded in darkness as they watched the last moments of Spopovich through his eyes by the crystal ball.

"The human's death is… Surprising… And a setback, is it not master?"

The deep baritone voice rumbled through the darkness, and had any humans been near, the sound alone would have sent a jolt of panic through them. It carried a heavy flavor of evil that stuck thickly in the air. A hushed murmur followed the question, but a shrill, high pitched voice cut through the rabble, silencing it sharply.

"It is a bit, but I think we may have just stumbled upon a gold mine as well! This character here, Bardock I think it was? He's a Saiyan! You see that?!"

The crystal ball flashed brightly, showing the demi in his full ascended glory, with a glowing golden tail waving up into the air behind him, as seen through the eyes of Spopovich.

"A tail! He's a Saiyan all-right! I remember that race of monkeys when they were still in their infancy! They're a violent bunch, and are quite powerful for a race of monkeys, but I don't remember them being blonde…"

The deep voice rumbled forth again after that.

"There were several that entered my domain when they went extinct, I believe that the blonde look is called 'super saiyan', but I thought it was merely a myth. The power of a super saiyan is legendary master… are you thinking what I'm… guessing you're thinking?"

"Oh yes I most certainly am! But, I've just had another splendid thought! Oh yes! There are two others there; I think they're Saiyans as well! Remember earlier, when our two little humans first ran into that group? They were arguing about 'not transforming' in the ring there! They have to be super-saiyans!"

"I understand that master, but from the fighting in the ring alone, we've managed to harvest half of the energy we need. We don't need all of them, just one. The others are not necessary."

"_Half?!_ How did that happen?!"

"The golden one, when he killed Spopovich. He dumped so much energy into him that we were able to take almost all of it through the channel you left open through him. That was clever of you master, giving him the regeneration like that. If only we had predicted someone as strong as this Bardock, we would have been able to gather all of the required energy."

"Hmmm indeed… Oh but this gives me another idea. These Saiyans are inherently violent, and this one obviously has quite a temper! I'm willing to bet the other two are similar as well…"

A heavy silence settled in the room, as if waiting for the shrill voice to continue.

"Ahem… yes master we know this, but… What are you intending to do?"

A shrill cackle rang forth from the darkness, and the Crystal ball froze on the image of Gohan in all of his rage, delivering the final blow to Spopovich.

"Oh, just wait and see! I think you'll enjoy this!"

**A/N: DUN DUN DUNNNN! So, to all of you who questioned my decision to have Gohan not step in earlier, I hope that the cause of his delay was satisfactory! If you noticed, in this chapter I just unlocked many, MANY avenues of approach to this saga, but there can only be one way. I'm mere hours away from getting on the plane to go back home, so I probably wont have another chapter up until I get moved in to my apartment, etc... I'm already brainstorming more ideas on ways to approach the next chapter, and any input will be accepted and appreciated! Let me know what you think, and as always, have a fantastic day!**


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